


Forever [Old]

by MonsieurToast (orphan_account)



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Rewritten, Action/Adventure, Book 5, Canon Continuation, Character Development, Drama, F/F, F/M, Multi, Novel, Original Character(s), Post-Finale, Post-Series, Relationship(s), Romance, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-25
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-03-09 02:16:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 226,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3232523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/MonsieurToast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the original version of Forever, which has since been abandoned and entirely rewritten. While the story between the two may be largely the same, this work no longer reflects my skill as a writer and has long been in need of an overhaul.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. All Good Things

# The Legend of Korra:  
Forever  
  
Book Five  
Chi  
  
Chapter One  
All Good Things

Freshly fallen snow blanketed the tops of rustic Southern homes and dusted the icy arctic ground, the scent of chimney smoke filling the air as the morning sun staked its claim to the sky. As sunlight glimmered in through her bedroom window, a young woman stirred, her eyes fluttering open to greet the day – her first day back in the Physical World in over two months. Rubbing her eyes, the young Avatar, Korra, sat up in her bed, her eyes beginning to adjust, and she saw that the light coming in from her window was now being obstructed by a rather familiar form, one which only made her smile.

"Good morning, Korra." Korra could practically _hear_ the smile behind those words, regardless of whether or not her eyes had focused enough to see it yet. And, unsurprisingly enough, when they had, a smile was precisely what she was greeted with, her girlfriend cheerfully welcoming her back to the waking world and sitting up in bed right beside her. It looked like she was already dressed, and as she looked around, Korra realized that she was, as well. The blankets also appeared to be largely undisturbed beneath the two of them, indicating that whenever it was they got here, they just kicked off their shoes and plopped right into bed. No wonder she still felt so exhausted, last night must’ve been a long one.

"Good morning, Asami." She groggily replied, stretching out her arms above her head with a yawn, trying to remember what had happened the night before. This certainly didn’t _seem_ like the Spirit World. After all, the two of them were in an actual bed again, something that the Spirit World had a rather severe lack of. Though the more she thought about it, the more she realized this was technically the first time she’d ever actually shared a bed with Asami. If she were a little more awake and gave that line of reasoning a little bit more thought, her face would probably be turning pretty red right about now. But, that was not the case. “We’re home?” She asked, looking to confirm her suspicions.

"Yeah, we came back last night through the Southern Spirit Portal. Don’t you remember? I’d have thought you’d recognize your own room, you must still be pretty tired." Asami explained. Korra never was the most alert person in the world immediately after waking up. Or at least, she hadn’t been while around Asami. Having spent their last two months together in the Spirit World, Korra was allowed to be as relaxed as she wanted to be for once, a fact which she had taken full advantage of. If there was a more alert Waking Korra than this, it was a Waking Korra which Asami had yet to see.

Not that she was complaining of course, that cluelessness was kind of cute. But, it was just nice getting to see her be so carefree around somebody. To be perfectly honest, she’d never seen Korra willingly let her guard down so much around somebody else before. She wasn’t just happy, she also felt safe. Safe enough that she was willing to stop worrying, stop trying and let her hair down a little. The trust that Korra had for her was never more plain than it was in the morning, in her eyes.

"Wait… _my_ room?” Rubbing her eyes a second time, as she took a closer look around, Korra found herself back in her old room at the South Pole, just as Asami had described. That’s right, how could she have forgotten about that? Was it the typical morning fog, or was she really just that used to waking up in the Spirit World now? Whatever the case, as she finished waking herself up, the events of the night before came flooding back to her.

After finally making the decision to return home from the Spirit World, she and Asami talked it over and had decided to exit through the Southern Spirit Portal and pay Korra’s family a visit first, rather than head straight on back to Republic City. They figured that they might as well try and drag out their vacation together a little bit longer in the Physical World, as well, and Korra had been expressing interest in telling her family about her and Asami’s new relationship before anybody else. Given everything that’d happened lately, both good and bad, she was feeling kind of homesick, anyway.

It actually went a lot better than either of them had expected, too. Rather than being confused by her decision or finding the whole thing kind of strange, Korra’s parents actually seemed pretty accepting of the idea, and actually quite happy for their daughter, welcoming Asami into their home like she was family almost immediately. Part of her wondered if maybe they already knew? Korra had no idea how they could have, but then, a parent’s intuition could be a pretty powerful thing, so who knows. Maybe it just really wasn’t that big of a deal.

Combined with the fact that they’d pretty much been sleeping together every night in the Spirit World anyway, a lack of extra space prompted the two of them to simply share Korra’s bed in her old room for the night, the two of them pretty tired and heading straight to sleep shortly after arriving. It was one of the best nights of sleep Korra had ever had, too. Come to think of it, a lot of her nights had been the best nights of her life, lately. She could get used to this whole ‘off the clock and on vacation’ thing. Too bad it couldn’t last forever.

"Oh yeah… I can’t believe I forgot. I guess I’m still pretty used to waking up in the Spirit World, huh?" Korra shrugged. "At least some things haven’t changed, though. I’ve gotten too used to this."

"Too used to what?" Asami asked.

"Just… us." Korra replied simply. "I’ve gotten too used to waking up and having you there next to me. To talking half-asleep and having you giggle like an idiot while I struggle to make some sense, looking like something the cat-owl dragged in while _you_ look as beautiful as ever.” And there went that giggle she was thinking about. Korra’s smile widened. She really was going to miss this. I mean, eventually, they’d both have to head back home, right? To Republic City? Separate lives, separate beds, working together whenever the opportunity arose… the usual. Though, the more Korra thought about it, the more she wondered where home actually was, now. She supposed that she could always go back to Air Temple Island like she always had so that she could stay within the city, but, she wasn’t sure. If she was being totally honest, what she actually wanted was…

"…I haven’t been this happy in a long time, and I can’t even remember the last time I had a vacation. These last two months have been just perfect. Thank you." She finished, abandoning her prior train of thought for now. She could bring that up with Asami later. It was probably a better idea to wait until the two of them were fully awake, anyway.

"Yeah… I should be thanking you, too, though. We both needed some time off. It’s just too bad it’s almost over." Asami sighed, leaning back on her arms and glancing downward, visibly disappointed by the thought. "Though you know, I was actually thinking–" Before she could finish, however, the girls found their morning talk interrupted by a third voice, one which Korra found warmly familiar.

"Oh, you two are awake already. Good morning!" Korra’s mother, Senna, called from the doorway. Right, Korra _was_ home, after all. She supposed she couldn’t have as much time to herself and Asami as she did back in the Spirit World. Back to reality, she thought. “I was just about to get you two up for breakfast, come on.” Walking away, Senna motioned for the two of them to follow, heading back into the family’s small kitchen in order to finish cooking. As the scent of her favorite meal wafted into her room, Korra could feel her mouth begin to water. How long had it been since she’d had some food from home?

"Oh man, Asami, you’re going to love this," Korra began excitedly, the mood in the room changing completely as the previous conversation was overtaken by the promise of a home-cooked meal. "I’ve been dying to get you to try some real Southern Water Tribe cooking for a while now, this is going to be perfect.” Well, Asami supposed she could try and broach the subject again later. She WAS feeling pretty hungry right about now, to be perfectly honest. Which, of course, her growling stomach always was.

”’Real Southern Water Tribe cooking’, huh? I’m looking forward to it.” She smiled, pecking Korra on the cheek and following her out and into the dining area. Taking in the steamy aroma of a freshly cooked stew, Asami’s mouth also began to water. It’d been a while since she and Korra had had a really decent meal. There was plenty of fruit and vegetables and the like in the Spirit World, which comprised most of what they ate while they were away, but she’d been craving something a little more meaty and expertly prepared for a while now. And what was more expertly prepared than a mother’s food?

What appeared to be awaiting the two of them at the family’s table was a stew, primarily comprised of what looked to be octopus with bits of other assorted local meats added into the mix which she couldn’t immediately identify, likely including either whale or seal, with some seasonings and vegetables such as carrots added into the mix. Some of these things didn’t look like typical Southern Water Tribe ingredients as far as Asami knew, which was probably part of the reason why Korra liked it so much, as that would indicate it wouldn’t be something that was made very often for her. Though, with Korra’s father’s position as chief, she supposed that those things might be a little bit easier to come by, these days.

Nevertheless, the look in Korra’s eye was like an armadillo lion upon seeing an injured fox antelope lying helpless in the field and separated from its herd, ready to pounce. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had this. “Good morning, mom.” Hugging her mother hello as she finished stirring the stew, Korra then turned to her father, Tonraq, who was already sitting down at the table, and hugged him from behind. Taking a seat at the side of the table to his right, she motioned for Asami to take a seat directly next to her, staring longingly at the bowl in front of her. _It had been too long_.

"Oh, I hope you don’t mind my octopus stew, Asami, it’s Korra’s favorite." Senna began as she made her way to the table with her own bowl, taking the seat directly next to her husband. "She hasn’t been home in a while, so we wanted to treat her. I wasn’t entirely sure if you’d like it or not, though…" She admitted, hoping that she wasn’t coming off as too presumptuous. If she and Korra had arrived a bit earlier and weren’t so exhausted when they did, she maybe could’ve had the chance to plan something out for the both of them, but instead, she was forced to take something of a gamble.

"It’s fine, I’ve had Southern Octopus before, though never in a stew like this. I am a little curious to get a taste of what Korra grew up with, though." By this point, the aforementioned Avatar already had the bowl of stew practically in her face. _Too. Long._

"Heaven, I grew up with heaven." Korra praised while Asami shook her head. Well, after two months of spirit fruit, she couldn’t blame her. Before reaching for her bowl, however, Asami just wanted to make sure that she thanked Korra’s parents for their hospitality. Things could’ve just as easily gone an entirely different way.

"Thank you for the meal, and for letting me stay the night like that." Korra’s mother simply smiled.

"Of course. Any friend of Korra’s is welcome to stay as long as they’d like, girlfriends especially." That still sounded so surreal to Asami. ‘Girlfriend’. She kept feeling like it was some sort of a dream. But it was real, and she couldn’t be happier for it.

"So, when did you two get together, if you don’t mind my asking?" Tonraq spoke up, finishing his breakfast first.

"Right after Varrick and Zhu Li’s wedding, when we headed into the Spirit World for that vacation." Korra explained between slurps of tentacles. She wasn’t really one for manners, was she? "We’ve always been great friends, but pretty much the whole time that I was back in the city after I left The Swamp was like a tipping point for us, I guess. That day especially. I think I first realized I loved her though when I was writing her a year or so back? So once I got back to Republic City it was basically just a matter of time before _something_ happened, for better or worse.” An enthused slam punctuated Korra’s explanation as she swiftly lowered the bowl from her face back to the table, letting loose a contented sigh. Tasted like _victory_. “Thankfully, it was for the better.” She smiled.

"I see. So you two spent all that time alone _together_ , huh?” Korra’s father asked, his glance shifting briefly over to Asami, who momentarily froze and shifted her eyes back and forth as if to ask, ‘Who, me?’. She wasn’t entirely sure she liked that suspicious tone in Tonraq’s voice. Either he was just messing with her, or things were about to get a _lot_ more awkward. _Please_ just let him be messing with her. “Well, I’m glad you made it back alright, both of you. It’s nice to see you so happy again, Korra.” _Oh thank God_.

"Thanks. I was kind of afraid you guys would flip out, I had no idea how you were going to react when I told you. I mean, it’s not exactly… common… I guess?" Korra awkwardly replied, a stark contrast to the victorious exuberance over her bowl not even thirty seconds ago.

"What’s not common about love? All that matters to us is that you’re happy. Nothing else." Senna replied. It was almost as if a weight was lifted off of Korra’s shoulders with those words. She really was worrying about nothing. Turning his gaze back to Asami now, who had since returned to eating her breakfast after her mini heart attack earlier, the Southern Chief then addressed her specifically, delivering his daughter’s new lover a stern warning.

"Asami, I’m just going to tell you the same thing I told that Mako kid a few years back: make sure that you take care of my little girl. If you hurt her, _I’ll know_.”

"Dad!" Korra yelped. Yeah, because _that_ wasn’t embarrassing.

"Hey, don’t look at me, I’m just doing my job." The chief shrugged, prompting Senna and Asami both to laugh while Korra simply huffed. Finishing the meal, Asami placed her bowl gently back onto the table, notably more mannerly than Korra. After all, she was a guest in somebody else’s house. While Korra talked through her meal, Asami had remained completely silent, taking her time and soaking in the atmosphere of Korra’s family home. Sitting there for a moment, watching the dynamic between Korra and her parents, she felt like she was a little kid again, sitting at her own family’s table for breakfast. She’d never really realized how much she actually missed this until now, a tear involuntarily running down her face – something which immediately captured Korra’s attention.

"…? Asami, is everything alright?" She asked, noting her girlfriend’s relative silence since breakfast had started.

"Of course. It’s more than alright, actually." She smiled genuinely, rubbing her eyes dry. "All of this just reminds me of how things used to be with my family when I was a kid, before my mom died. I never really thought I’d get the chance to be a part of something like this again." And she loved every second of it. Korra couldn’t help but give her girlfriend a hug. She hadn’t even thought about that before…

"Well, you’ll always be welcome as a part of this family, I can promise you that." Tonraq confirmed. He glanced over at Korra briefly, as if intentionally trying to draw her attention. Was he hinting at something? …Nah.

"Thank you." Asami wasn’t really sure she could put just how thankful she was for that in words. Family, huh?

Rising from her seat to grab seconds, Korra changed gears yet again, shifting the topic of conversation from family matters to world matters. After all, she had to get back into the loop eventually, she couldn’t just goof off forever. She’d probably been gone too long as it was, she was actually somewhat scared to ask. “So, dad, did I miss anything important while I was away? I didn’t really mean to be gone as long as I was, but I, uh… kind of got carried away for a while there, sorry about that.” She laughed nervously, sitting back down with her second serving of stew.

"Nonsense, if anybody deserves an extended vacation every now and then, it’s the Avatar. You more than earned it." Tonraq affirmed. There was no need for Korra to beat herself up. After everything she’d been through and what she ultimately found at the end of it, she deserved all that time to herself. And besides… "That being said, things have actually been pretty calm since you and Asami left. Prince Wu’s plan to dissolve the monarchy and the return of the Earth Kingdom to its people as a collection of independent states has gone off without a hitch so far, and Kuvira’s trial has been progressing pretty smoothly since she was taken into custody. There’ve been some isolated pockets of resistance from some remaining supporters of hers here and there, but things have remained relatively under control so far as I know. They should actually be getting to sentencing pretty soon."

Kuvira… Korra had left almost immediately after the fight with her had been settled. She’d definitely done some terrible things, but Korra couldn’t help but feel some level of sympathy toward her. As she’d explained to the Metalbender herself, the two of them weren’t entirely unalike.

"I see… honestly, I hope they don’t go too hard on her." Korra stated, prompting a raised eyebrow from the Southern Chief. "I mean, don’t get me wrong. What she did was wrong, and she should definitely be punished for it, but I think she should be allowed to learn from her mistakes, too. I know that there’s probably a lot of people calling for her head right now, but I don’t think she’s entirely beyond redemption."

"Huh. That’s a very mature way to look at it." Tonraq replied. His daughter had really grown up a lot these past 4 years, but it was at times like these that it occurred to him that he was in the unique position of being able to speak to his child as both a father and as a fellow world leader. Though he supposed that as the Avatar, Korra’s role went beyond even that. Tonraq’s duty was to his people, but Korra’s was to the whole world. Two worlds, even. Watching her grow more and more comfortably into that sort of a position made him more proud than he could ever put into words. "Given that the Water Tribes were never really all that affected by the whole Kuvira fiasco, I don’t really have much to say on the matter. But if that’s how you feel, then I think you should see if you can’t take part in Kuvira’s trial. I’m sure that the Avatar’s opinion will be taken into account."

"Yeah. I think I might." Korra nodded. Well, she had to get back into the swing of things somehow. Why not pick up where she left off? This was something she felt like she had to do.

"If that’s the case, then we should probably get going within the next day or two." Asami said. It’d still take some time for them to get back to Republic City, a good day or two at least. If Korra wanted to take part in Kuvira’s trial, then it’d probably be a good idea if they left sometime later that night or tomorrow, whichever Korra was more comfortable with. "I should probably go check up on my company, anyway."

"That’s right… doesn’t Future Industries hold contracts with the United Republic for Republic City’s infrastructure? I never even thought about that before, I wonder if anything’s even been rebuilt since we left…" This was why Korra wasn’t the one who ran one of the largest corporations in the world. Thankfully, Asami had already prepared for this in advance and had left somebody else in charge temporarily, so she wasn’t really worried about that.

"Don’t worry, I’m sure things are going just fine. I put one of my best men, Ravi, in charge before I left with you. It’s one of the reasons why I was a little late that day, I had to make sure that he knew what was going on and that he was was up to the task of running the company while I was gone. If any requests were put in to begin rebuilding or planning the city’s expansion while I was away, then he’d definitely have started working on them by now." She explained.

"Oh, alright, phew. Well, that’s why you’re the CEO and I’m the Avatar, I guess. I kind of just left a note for Tenzin, told my parents, and left." Korra shrugged. Asami laughed. When she put it like that, Korra almost made it sound like she didn’t have anything to worry about. Asami knew better, of course, but still, she couldn’t help but find her demeanor a little funny. "Anyway, I’d kind of like to head out tomorrow and spend the rest of the day here, if you’re alright with that? It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve been home, and I’d love to give you a proper tour if you’re up for it."

"Sounds good to me." Asami replied. "Thank you again for the meal, it was delicious." She directed to her girlfriend’s parents, receiving a smile in response. With that, she and Korra rose back to their feet, the Water Tribe girl stretching out her back and arms and giving her parents one more hug before she headed out while Asami took hers and Korra’s bowls to the sink. No use in leaving a mess behind.

"Of course, dear. You two have fun." Senna replied, waving goodbye as the girls headed out the door.

As soon as Korra had stepped outside, however, she was greeted by the familiar crunch of paws in the snow as her pet polar bear dog, Naga, came barreling toward her, full steam ahead. “Naga!” Korra cried out with glee, arms wide open to embrace her pet and best friend as she excitedly knocked her master to the ground, licking her face as Korra happily scratched under her chin and rubbed her head. “Aw, I missed you too, girl.” She laughed, rising back onto her feet. Before she left, she’d told her parents to take Naga back home with them, which was admittedly another reason why she wanted to head back through the Southern Portal. She missed her.

Hopping onto Naga’s back and scratching her behind the ears, she motioned with her head for Asami to follow. It seemed they were going to be taking the polar bear dog express today, not that she – or Naga – really minded. Climbing up with a helping hand from Korra, Asami wrapped her arms around the blue-eyed girl’s waist and kissed her on the cheek, resting her head on her shoulder and smiling as the two of them headed out into the village on Naga’s back. Today was going to be a good day.

****

***** *** *** *** *****

 

A young, dark-haired man walked through the bustling streets of Republic City, as alive as they ever were even despite their somewhat cluttered state of disrepair and reconstruction. It had been two months since Kuvira’s imperial ambitions were put to an end and his friends left for a much needed vacation in the Spirit World, and two days since his little “vacation” had – thankfully – come to an end, and he couldn’t be happier for it. As of today, Republic City’s Ace Detective, Mako, was officially back on the beat!

With Prince Wu technically no longer a Prince, the Earth Kingdom being steadily broken up into independent states much like Zaofu and the United Republic itself and the steady rise in crime since Kuvira’s Colossus leveled more than half the city, he was finally recalled from his position as Royal Bodyguard and set to resume his former occupation of police detective as of today. He couldn’t wait. Now that the political games were finally done and over with, he could finally get back to what he loved doing: patrolling the streets, solving crimes and keeping the peace. He’d been waiting for this day for a long, _long_ time.

With the city still recovering from the events that’d transpired two months prior, there had been an increase in crimes of all kinds, which ultimately meant more work for the struggling police force. In order to try and keep up with this recent rise in crime, a lot of former detectives and members of the force had elected to temporarily come out of retirement and lend a hand, and many more were being hired from the populace and being taught the ins-and-outs of the force as quickly as possible, with many veterans – like Mako – being saddled with partners who functioned more like apprentices who would be learning on the job alongside their more experienced counterparts.

He couldn’t say that he was exactly delighted to hear the news, but he understood the decision and was just glad to be back, regardless. And besides, how bad could it be? Maybe having a partner would be fun. It all depended on who he ultimately got saddled with and how much training they actually needed, and how well they gelled with Mako and his particular style. He’d never really considered himself much of a teacher, so he just hoped that whoever it was, they weren’t too wet behind the ears.

Rounding the last corner and stopping in front of the Republic City Police Station, Mako took a moment to just take it all in. Along with Future Industries Tower and the new City Hall, the station was one of the first buildings in the city to be relocated, rebuilt and then expanded on, with more and larger rooms being added on in anticipation of a larger city, larger police force and larger amount of crime than ever before, with well over a dozen new holding cells being built on the lower levels. The new building really was a sight to behold. It was actually even bigger than he thought it’d be, he kinda hoped he wouldn’t get lost.

Walking up the steps and through the doorway, he was immediately greeted by yet another bustling crowd, this one comprised of Metalbending Officers and various other law enforcement officials. Phones were ringing off the hook and papers were shuffling from desk to desk, officers constantly entering and leaving the building, some with apprehended criminals in tow. He’d heard that a lot of Metalbenders from Zaofu had elected to join the force temporarily to fill in ranks for the elite Metalbending Division, in order to help keep the peace while the city was being rebuilt, but he had no idea there were actually _this_ many. Along with all of the new patrol officers and veterans from before his time at the force, he could hardly see any familiar faces out there. Talk about chaos.

"Home sweet home?" He asked nobody in particular, looking around for his desk, which he assumed would be unmanned – an assumption which didn’t fit any of the almost 50 in this room alone. Maybe he was stationed somewhere else?

"Mako! There you are! Took you long enough to get here." Finally, a familiar voice. Immediately snapping back to attention, he turned to face the Chief of Police, Lin Beifong, a ready smile on his face.

"Ah, chief, I was just looking for you. I knew we’d gotten some new recruits, but I didn’t expect things to be so… lively." _That_ was putting it lightly.

"Welcome to your new norm, detective. Your desk is on the second floor with all the others." ‘All the others’? Apparently there were more detectives now than he thought. It seemed that detectives and higher ranking officers were now stationed on the second floor while everybody else was relegated to the first. He imagined Lin’s own office was somewhere around there too, just like it was in the old station. "Your new partner is already up there waiting for you, just finished basic training and got accepted into the force the other day. Your first case is already on your desk, as well. I’m just gonna warn you now though, it’s a weird one. But the fact of the matter is that we’re still understaffed for everything that’s going on right now and you’re one of the best men I’ve got. It may not be what you’re used to, but I trust you to get it done quick and get it done right." She explained.

"Of course, ma’am. I’ll see to it that it’s resolved as soon as possible." Mako replied in a dutiful tone, receiving a simple nod from Beifong in response, which he took as his cue to get going. Making his way to the elevator, as soon as the doors closed, he let out an exhausted sigh. Just standing in that room took a lot out of him, this was going to take some getting used to. And what was that about his partner just finishing basic training the other day? Wonderful. He just really hoped the second floor wasn’t as crowded as the first. If it was, then he really had no idea how he was going to get any work done. Thankfully, however, as the elevator reached its destination and the doors slid open, he found that not to be the case.

Stepping out into a long hallway that stretched to the left and right of the elevator, he could already tell that things up here were _much_ less hectic, even though he could hear sounds of construction coming from the outside and in each direction down the hall. Two months was still a pretty short amount of time to erect a new police station, after all, even for benders – there was still some work to be done. But, the important thing was that it was usable and that the two main offices were open to the public and the police, those being the main office just past the lobby – which Mako had seen below – and the room on the other side of the hall and directly across from the elevator, built so that it was past a wide open gap in the wall rather than hidden behind a closed door.

While a few phones were still ringing here as he stepped inside, in comparison to the floor below, things up here were much quieter and much less busy. Furthermore, while there were almost 50 desks down on the 1st floor from what he’d counted, up here, he could only see about half that, with maybe 12 on each side, and most of them were unoccupied, at least for now. As he’d suspected, Chief Beifong’s office was in the back of this room, away from the hustle and bustle of the downstairs and behind a textured frosted glass door in the back. Now this, he could work with. And speaking of working with…

Spotting his nameplate on one of the desks closest to Lin’s office and on the right side of the room from the perspective of the Chief, he saw a rather familiar face standing next to it, fiddling around with the drawers and occasionally looking up to scan the room, as if he were looking for somebody. Mako knew exactly who that was. The question became, why the hell was he here?

"…Wait a second, Bolin? Seriously? YOU’RE my new partner?" He blurted in shock from across the room, Bolin’s ears perking up at the sound of Mako’s voice and his question eliciting an excited wave from the younger brother, who had almost immediately stood up in order to more properly greet his new superior. Mako had to admit, Bolin didn’t look half bad in a uniform, but he was confused – this was the _last_ place he’d expected his little brother to look for a job, let alone actually get one. Was the station really that understaffed, or was he underestimating his little bro’s abilities? Somehow, he got the feeling the answer was probably somewhere in the middle.

"I know, isn’t it great!? Now, I know what you’re thinking: since when has Bolin been all about police work? Well let me tell you, Mako, my time in the army has changed me. I’m a new man! A better man! When I was working for Kuvira, I thought I was doing the right thing and that I was actually helping people. It turned out that I wasn’t, but here, I can actually do some good for sure _and_ help Republic City get back on track in the process – and with my brother no less! It’s gonna be GREAT!” Bolin shouted with excitement. Well, so much for that calmer atmosphere Mako was looking forward to.

"Well, this is certainly… unexpected." Mako said, scratching the back of his head. What else could he even say? Bolin had kept him entirely in the dark on this one. Mako guessed he probably meant to surprise him when he walked in for his first day back at the precinct, and he had to admit, he was certainly… surprised. But seriously? Bolin? A cop? This was either going to turn out extremely well or end in unprecedented disaster, there was no in-between. He just wasn’t sure which one it was going to be yet.

"The best things in life often are the most unexpected." Bolin recited, nodding sagely. Mako simply rolled his eyes and sighed, walking towards his desk. "Anyway, Lin told me to just stay here and read over the report while I waited for you. Apparently, a strange body was found outside of a home in the old Downtown area, about 13 blocks from the edge of the new Spirit Portal. The Chief wants you to go look into it." Bolin explained briefly, handing the file over to his brother. Mako’s eyes narrowed. Seriously? This was NOT what he was expecting on his first day back at work.

"Really? This is the ‘weird case’ she was talking about? A body in the slums? That part of town isn’t exactly the most stable right now, this isn’t exactly out of the ordinary out there. What’s she want me investigating this for?” Well, somebody sure seemed a little aggravated. Bolin shrugged.

"Heck if I know, she just told me to tell you to read the report and then head down to the morgue. Oh, and to take me with you. Something about on-the-job training? I dunno, sounds like fun to me!" The young Earthbender exclaimed excitedly. ‘Fun’? He certainly wasn’t taking this very seriously, was he? Did he even understand what their first case was? But, Beifong was right – this wasn’t exactly the type of case Mako was used to, but orders were orders, and detectives, while more numerous, were still in short supply. Seeing that look in Bolin’s eyes, though, Mako was beginning to see how this new partnership was probably going to end up going.

"Yeah, ‘fun’… whatever. Just give me the report." Mako sighed, taking the file from his brother’s hands and giving it a quick once over. From what he could tell, it seemed like some pretty standard stuff. Sounds of a struggle the night before, illegal bending, body found outside the next… wait. What? Mako’s eyes widened as he reread the remainder of the account twice more. Well. What do you know. That _was_ odd. “…Bolin, are you sure this is right…?” Bolin shrugged again.

"That’s the file Lin gave to me, so I guess so? I dunno, I wasn’t the one who wrote it. Why, what’s wrong?" He asked. Mako’s eyes narrowed. Maybe this was a weird one after all, he was going to have to see this for himself.

"…Come on, we’re heading downstairs. Seems you and I are gonna be working homicide today." Closing the file, Mako immediately took off for the elevator while Bolin just stood there for a moment, registering the situation. Wait, homicide? As in murder? Somehow, even after reading over that report and relaying its contents in basic to Mako, it hadn’t exactly clicked in his brain that that was what he was going to be investigating until just now. What a way to start his career as an officer of the law, huh? Realizing by now that his brother had gone on without him, he shook his head, snapping back to reality and stumbling over himself as he ran out the office in pursuit.

"Mako, hey, wait for me!" He called.

****

***** *** *** *** *****

"Now _that_ is how you end a vacation.” Korra sighed, falling back into the snow, exhausted. She’d heard the expression ‘Time flies when you’re having fun’ before, but it’d never applied to her quite like this before, today just flew right by. Maybe it was because she was heading back to Republic City tomorrow or because she’d spent the whole thing hanging out around town with Asami, but as the sun began to set over the water, she had to say, she was pretty sad to see it go. She didn’t want this to end. “You’re better at snowball fights than I thought.” She mentioned with a laugh, glancing over at the dark-haired girl to her left who looked to be about as exhausted as Korra herself was, the both of them lying there disheveled but smiling.

Not even 60 seconds earlier, the two of them were engaged in the snowball fight to end all snowball fights, a teasing toss by Korra 15 minutes earlier inadvertently starting a war of wintry attrition she was amazed that she’d actually lost. How does a Waterbender _lose_ a snowball fight? Not that she was complaining, that was the most fun she’d had in ages, but still! It just didn’t seem right.

"I know right? Who’d have thought I’d be able to beat the Avatar? What a pushover." Asami teased.

"Yeah, yeah, enjoy it while it lasts. Next time, you’re going to be the one crying uncle." Korra warned playfully in response. Asami knew what she meant, but for a second there, she thought she meant something else entirely. Either way though, her response was the same:

"Oh, is that so? Well, we’ll just have to see about that." _Pure confidence_.

As the two of them laughed, Naga raised her head from behind a snow mound a couple dozen feet behind them, checking to see if the coast was finally clear. Seeing the two girls lying calmly in the snow together, she got up and walked to be closer to the both of them, sitting down a couple of feet from Korra’s right and staring out over the sea. Man, if polar bear dogs could sigh with relief. “Aw, I’m sorry Naga, did we hit you in the crossfire?” Korra asked, sensing her pet’s mild frustration. “Ah, the cost of war is just too high, even a snowball war.” She joked, causing Asami to simply shake her head. This girl…

As they laid there, panting and exhausted, whatever small bits of snow that were still on them melted, cooling them down as it mixed with their sweat and their breathing returned to normal. Reaching out her gloved left hand, Asami reciprocated the young Avatar’s request, grabbing hold with her right and looking up at the sky as the sunlight gradually faded away and the recently returned Southern Lights took its place, dancing their way across the evening sky as orange gave way to a mixture of dark blue and green.

For a few minutes, the two of them just laid there, taking in the sights and each other’s company, neither daring to say what was on their mind. Neither of them wanted any of this to stop, but both of them had duties to others beyond themselves and each other that they had to fulfill. Even still, the thought of not being able to spend so much time together, their nights together, was tearing both of them apart inside. They both thought they had the solution, though – it’s just neither knew that the other was thinking the exact same thing. Eventually, one of them had to be the brave one and pop the question, and as it happened, today, that brave one was Korra.

"I don’t want this to end." She finally spoke up, immediately catching Asami’s attention. Where was she going with this? The engineer had a few ideas, but she had to be sure.

"What do you mean? You make it sound like we’re never going to see each other again or we’re breaking up or something." She replied. How would Korra react? Would she keep pushing forward, or retreat? If she kept going forward, how far would Korra be willing to go? Was she going to ask what she was thinking she was going to ask? A million possibilities flitting through her brain, Asami impatiently waited for Korra’s response.

"No, no, of course not – trust me, I love you way too much to break up with you, that’s not it at all." Korra affirmed, deciding to address that bit first and foremost. "And yeah, we _are_ going to see each other, it’s just… I’m greedy. I want to see you _more_. These past couple of months have been the best of my life. I know they don’t really make up for 3 years of lost time, but I don’t want any of this to end, at all. I don’t want to stop falling asleep with you and waking up with you and spending as much of my time as possible with you.” She explained, keeping her eyes affixed to the sky as she spoke while Asami turned her head to look at her.

"So what are you saying?" Was it what Asami hoped she was saying?

"I guess… what I’m saying is…" Korra paused, taking a deep breath before turning her head so that she was looking at Asami, too. Part of her wondered if maybe this was a bit too soon, if maybe she was rushing things. But it felt right. As of this moment, she was sure. "…I want to live with you. And spend the rest of my life with you. As girlfriends… or fiancees… …wives…" Korra bit her lip. Wow, this was awkward. Asami’s focus grew more intense. Korra was so close. Then, sitting up to search her pockets for something, Asami raised an eyebrow, following suit in curiosity. What was she looking for? Whatever it was, she appeared to be so flustered, she couldn’t remember which pocket she’d put it in. It had to be around here somewhere… aha! There it was, she’d found it. Taking a deep breath, Korra continued.

"…I made this about a week ago in the Spirit World, I just wasn’t sure when I was going to give it to you until today. I was thinking of maybe holding off a little longer, like maybe this is too soon, but knowing that everything’s going to be going back to normal and getting really hectic again, I thought maybe now would be the best time to get it out there after all."

"Korra, you’re rambling." Asami teased again, the anticipation killing her. Was this really, _really_ what she thought it was?

"Right, sorry." She quickly apologized. She had to get back on track. "Anyway, I guess the easiest way to say this is just to explain it. In my tribe, it’s a custom that when two people wish to become betrothed to one another that one carves a betrothal necklace that they can then give their partner, which acts as both an expression of their love and as a sign to others both in the tribe and around the world that they’re promised to somebody. Normally, it’s the guy who makes one and gives it to his bride-to-be, but we’re both girls, so I figured since I’m the one with the Water Tribe background…" Korra looked away as she spoke, blushing harder than ever before and removing her hand from her pocket to hold out a carved, stone necklace which she had attached to a simple dark red band. When did she even make this…?

Looking it over carefully, the stone itself looked to have been carved into the shape of a gear, with a design etched into it that Korra had based loosely off of Raava. In her mind, it was a simple little mixture of symbols meant to represent the both of them together: Asami, the head of Future Industries and a technological genius, paving the way for a better future, and Korra, the Avatar and host to Raava, the spirit of peace and light, fighting to keep peace and balance for all mankind. Put the two of them together and what you end up with is a symbol of progress toward a better, brighter future, which was exactly how Korra felt about Asami. She was that better, brighter future she was striving towards, and she wanted her all for herself, forever.

Asami was silent, simply taking the necklace into her hands and just holding it for a moment. This was really happening, wasn’t it? This is exactly what she was hoping for, but now that it was actually happening, she had no idea what to say. So instead, she just sat there for a moment, trying to wrap her head around everything. A betrothal necklace. Korra was giving her a _betrothal necklace_. This was huge. Beyond huge. This whole damn thing was a dream come true. She felt like her hands were shaking, but she was actually remarkably composed. Composed enough that it was actually setting Korra a little on edge. She didn’t just make a mistake, did she? Was it too soon after all? Did she not like the necklace?

"…I know it probably doesn’t look that great, I’m not really one for carving or design or anything like that, but…" Korra rubbed the back of her neck, nervous. Well. She’d come this far. She might as well just say it at this point. "…I guess what I’m asking you is… Asami, will you be m–" But once again, hearkening back to when they first kissed, before she could finish and say what it was she had to say, Korra found herself in the middle of a deep, passionate kiss unlike any she’d shared previously, Asami tenderly pressing her lips to Korra’s as if to preemptively answer her question. She had a tendency to do that, Korra had noticed – she did this a lot when they first got together, too. It was just one more little thing she’d fallen in love with.

"You talk too much." Asami teased once she’d finally broken away, tenderly holding Korra’s chin in her gloved hand. "But the answer is yes, Korra. I will be your fiancee. I will marry you." She smiled. "It doesn’t have to be right now. In fact, given everything we’ve both got to deal with pretty soon, it’d probably be a good idea if we held off jumping head-first into it, at least for a little while. But that’s what the necklace is about, right? It’s a promise. So when the right time comes…" It was like any time Asami spoke to her, a weight was lifted off of Korra’s shoulders. She always seemed to know exactly what she was thinking and exactly how to react to it. Korra almost felt like crying, but stubbornly kept her composure, refusing to let her happiness overwhelm her. Not this time, tear ducts.

"I was thinking the same thing. Things are going to be pretty crazy the next couple of months… couple of years, even. Republic City is expanding, your company is growing, and who knows what’s going to happen with that Earth Kingdom business… but whatever happens, I want it to happen with you and me, and I want to promise myself to you, and you to promise yourself to me, and when it’s over and things are stable again, if we still love each other, then I want to make you mine, forever." Korra stumbled to explain, trying to convey what it was she was thinking, though she didn’t feel like she was doing a very good job at it. Still, Asami seemed to understand exactly what she meant.

"Well, you know what they say. "All good things come to those that wait", right?" Asami responded, prompting Korra to blush even harder. If that girl got any redder, she’d make an apple jealous. "But yeah, I get what you’re saying, I feel the same way. I love you, Korra."

"I love you too, Asami." Kissing each other once more, while shorter in duration, the feeling behind it was no less than it was before. This. This was heaven. "…So what do you think?" Korra asked after the two of them had parted, realizing Asami had never actually told her whether or not she liked the necklace, or just the idea of what it represented.

"I think it looks incredible, I love it. Thank you." She finally replied, reaching up behind her neck to put it on. Korra breathed an audible sigh of relief. Thank goodness. Finishing putting it on, Asami looked back to Korra, curious to get her opinion now that she was wearing it. "So, how do I look?" She asked. Korra thought about it for a moment, smiling. For once, she felt like she knew _exactly_ what to say.

"Snazzy."

****

***** *** *** *** *****

Meanwhile, back in Republic City, Mako and Bolin had made their way down to the basement level of the new police building, following the precinct medical examiner down the hall and into the room where the body they would be investigating was located. This wasn’t typically Mako’s area of expertise – he was usually better with handling routine incident reports, solving B&E and terrorist attacks, or gang-related incidents, or occasionally re-investigating cases at the request of the Chief to see if he could pick up anything that others had missed. But, given the unusual state of the body laid out in the report and the strange circumstances surrounding it, combined with the general lack of answers, this one seemed to be right up his alley, after all.

As the three of them walked the halls, Mako continued to read over the report that Lin had left for him while Bolin looked around the underground morgue, half-mystified, half-creeped out, the medical examiner himself continuing to talk all the while. A bit of a wordy fellow, this one – wordy enough that Bolin had almost completely tuned out of what was going on.

"…but sadly, I never did see Gou again, after that. Oh, the things I would have done differently. …Ah, here we are! Exam room number 5! It would seem we have arrived at last, my good fellows!" The doctor finally announced, drawing Mako’s attention back into the real world while Bolin walked around the room, looking at all the tools on the table across from the examination one the body bag was on.

"Sorry for making you track me down like that, things have been quite hectic lately, but I did enjoy our little chat on the way back down here! It’s not often a man like me gets to reminisce these days, you know? Anyway, I must say, detectives, in all my 15 years here with the precinct, I have _never_ seen a corpse quite like this one. Let me just warn you now: you may find its appearance to be quite… disturbing.” He warned. Closing the file again and holding it to his side, Mako returned to full attention, curious to see if everything the report had described was actually true or not.

"Detective," Mako corrected. "And don’t worry, Dr. Lou. I think I can stomach it." He concluded, nudging Bolin back to attention with his elbow. Seemed he’d more-or-less tuned out of the conversation while the doctor was rambling on about his life’s story. Mako couldn’t say he could blame his little brother, but he could at least _pretend_ to be a bit more professional. How in the hell did Kuvira of all people put up with him?

"Oh, right, sorry. Uh, yeah, what Mako said." Bolin nodded. Mako sighed. Why was Bolin here, again? Well, whatever, there was no use arguing over it now. Besides, it was still Bolin’s first day. I mean, he had to shape up eventually, right? Lin wouldn’t have let him on the force and partnered the two of them if she didn’t think he was capable, regardless of how much they needed more people, right? …Right?

"Very well then, as you wish…" The aforementioned Dr. Lou replied. Unzipping the body bag, what greeted the brothers looked less like a fresh corpse and more like an ancient mummy, its flesh dry and shriveled and its eyes completely missing from its sockets, looking as though all of its blood and bodily fluids had been drained away – which as it happened, was exactly what was described in the report. It was almost as though the body had been meticulously mummified and prepared, but according to the incident report included in the file, a suspect wearing clothes matching the description of the victim’s was seen lurking around that area shortly before the report of illegal bending that was filed by the owner of the house outside of whom the body was found.

Furthermore, after the supposed bending had stopped, nobody else was seen to have entered or exited the area by local witnesses between the time of the incident and the discovery of the body at about sunrise, which indicated that it had been there all night and belonged to either the person involved in the bending report or whoever it was that the bending was being directed at. If that was the case, what the hell kind of bending could have done this? It was unlike anything Mako had ever seen before, let alone heard of. Could a bender really be responsible for something like this?

Of course, it was also always possible that the body was prepared elsewhere and then simply placed there later on by somebody else without anybody noticing. All of this did take place rather late at night, after all. But then that raised the question of why? Why would somebody do this to a body and then just leave it out in the middle of the street? Had it been dug up from somewhere and left there for some unknown reason? What did any of that have to do with the report of bending and sounds of a struggle? Was it some sort of new scare tactic by the Triads, maybe? Who would they be scaring, and why?

No matter how Mako looked at it, nothing about the body made much sense. He was beginning to see more and more why Chief Beifong wanted this taken care of quickly. Once word got out, people would get curious and start looking for answers. If the police couldn’t give them, then that would work against them in the future, the last thing they needed was bad publicity right now. And if another body showed up… well, the last thing anybody needed was a spree of mummified corpses popping up in Republic City. Panic was to be avoided at all costs.

"…Oh. Oh spirits. That is… wow, that is just _horrible_. It looks like a raisin, only… people shaped… oh…” Bolin sputtered out, clearly taken aback by the body in the bag, looking away. “Wow, that is just… wow.” What more was there to be said? That just about covered everything.

"Well he told us it was going to be disturbing, Bolin. Besides, the file clearly stated that it was mummy-like in appearance, you should’ve been prepared for this. Did you even read the report?" Mako asked, reading the look on his brother’s face, mixed in appearance with equal parts shock and horror. That was not the face of somebody who read the report, that was the face of somebody expecting a regular, everyday body as carved up by the Triads only to find themselves walking into an ancient Earth Kingdom tomb instead.

"…I skimmed it." Bolin replied. Mako facepalmed.

"Whatever, I don’t have time for this right now. Next time, have a better idea of what you’re getting yourself into." He scolded, turning his attention back to the medical examiner. "Do you have any idea how old the body is? It may have shown up today, but it hardly looks new."

"Yes, it’s actually quite fresh, despite all appearances to the contrary. I thought maybe it had been dug up or something, but it shows no advanced signs of decay, even despite its rather… degraded appearance. It was a perfect mummification, and it appears recent, the flesh still hasn’t completely dried up yet. It was as though something came up and just drained the life right out of him, the poor soul." Dr. Lou explained, shaking his head.

"I see… do you have any idea what could have caused this, then?" Again, the examiner just shook his head.

"I’m afraid not. Maybe a Waterbender would be capable of something like this, if they were feeling especially vicious, but this seems more in line with what a Bloodbender might be capable of to me, and we’re at least a week away from our next full moon. But even then, I would expect some sort of a trace to be left behind, but here, there’s nothing. It’s really quite perplexing, I’ve never seen anything quite like it before in my life." Mako sighed. Well, it certainly was ‘weird’. Though looking at it now first-hand, ‘horrifying’ seemed the more apt description. Giving the doctor the go ahead to zip it back up and place the body back in storage, Bolin quickly interrupted, thinking he’d noticed something on the body neither of them had mentioned.

"Wait!" He cried out, grabbing the doctor’s arm to stop him.

"What is it now, Bolin?" Mako asked, clearly annoyed.

"What is that? On its face." The Earthbender asked, pointing. Mako and Dr. Lou were confused. On its face…? The young detective tilted his head, leaning in to take a closer look, but he couldn’t see anything. He let out an annoyed sigh.

"…What are you talking about? There’s nothing there." The Firebender retorted. The doctor, however, was intrigued by the new officer’s assertion, deciding to take a closer look, himself. While Mako may not have seen it, however, the professional most certainly did. It was slight… he was shocked Bolin had noticed it when he’d completely missed it before, himself. But it was indeed there.

"…How did I miss this before? You have good eyes, my boy. There appears to be some minor discoloration around the facial area, though I can’t quite make out what it is or what could have caused it, the skin is far too shriveled up. It’s very, very faint, but it is there." The M.E. rubbed his chin, thinking to himself for a moment. Evidence of a bender, perhaps? He could always try and rehydrate the area, see if he couldn’t get a better look. Perhaps the killer wasn’t as traceless as the doctor had first believed. "I believe I may be able to get a better look if I can somehow rehydrate the skin… I’ll see what I can do and perform a second examination, and I’ll be sure to look for more signs of discoloration. I’ll phone you with my findings later on this evening, Detective." Lou finished.

Wait, what? Mako leaned in for an even closer look, trying to see if he could see any discoloration, now that he knew what he was looking for. But no, everything looked… …oh. Well, what do you know.

"…Huh. Wow. Good job, Bolin, I never even noticed that." Mako congratulated, genuinely surprised that he’d missed something. Bolin, meanwhile, just grinned. He couldn’t believe he’d spotted something Mako hadn’t, especially considering he was the one most visibly icked out by the whole thing. Maybe Mako was just too stoic for his own good and somewhere beneath that icy cold Firebender veneer of his, there was a terrified, screaming child wanting nothing more than to look away. Or, maybe he just genuinely missed something. Either way.

"See? I can notice things too, sometimes. I may not be as stonefaced as you, but I know what I’m doing." Kind of. But Bolin was right – he wasn’t completely hopeless, despite what Mako had seemed to believe about him. Maybe he was being a bit too harsh on his brother. Clearly, Bolin hadn’t really anticipated the full extent of what a cop’s job would entail, but Lin must’ve seen something in him, otherwise she never would’ve let him on the force. Bolin was the kind of guy to act first and think later, usually for the sake of others. That could be a blessing or a curse for a cop. Perhaps it was a good balance to Mako’s ever-thinking nature, after all. Time would have to tell.

"Maybe. Well, I don’t think we’re going to find anything else out here right now. Thank you for your time, Dr. Lou. Let’s go, Bolin." Mako said, loosely motioning for Bolin to follow as he jotted down another note into the file and turned to leave the room. The doctor simply nodded in response, turning back to the body to look at the discoloration once more. How DID he miss that…?

"Mako, wait up! Now where are we going?" Bolin asked, yet again having to pursue his brother down a hallway, albeit not as far this time. That guy really had to stop walking off so far ahead of people.

"Back to the crime scene to investigate. Seems you and I have got a bona fide mystery on our hands." Mako replied, stopping in front of the elevator, finishing this round of notes and closing the file in his hands again, placing his pen back into his shirt pocket.

"Yeah… mystery… great…" Bolin trailed. What had he gotten himself into?

"…? Is something wrong?" Mako asked.

"I dunno, I just didn’t think this is how my first day of being a cop would go. I thought I was going to be out on the streets, chasing down criminals, stopping heists and protecting the peace! You know, like a real-life mover! Not holed up in a basement staring at creepy mummies." Bolin complained, his older brother simply shaking his head. As he’d thought, Bolin hadn’t really thought this whole thing through.

"That’s part of being a cop, too, Bolin. Sometimes, bad guys kill people, and we have to figure out who did it and why. And sometimes, they do it in some really nasty ways. I’m not really used to this kind of case, myself, I’ve never really worked a homicide before, but these things do happen and sometimes you get wrapped up in them whether you want to be or not. Besides, nothing about this seems right to me. We may be dealing with more than just a simple murder, here. Consider this a chance to keep the peace by tracking down whoever did this before they do it again, killers like this usually strike more than once." You know, Mako could be kind of reassuring when he wanted to be. His brother was right – Bolin just had to suck it up. He signed up for this. There was no backing out of it now.

"Yeah, I guess you’re right. Just gonna have to suck it up and deal with it." He replied.

"Exactly. Lin put us both on this case for a reason, I’m sure she has faith in both of our abilities." …That look on Bolin’s face said otherwise.

"…Yeah, right, about that…" The younger brother nervously trailed, rubbing the back of his head. "Actually, Lin was initially against me joining the police force. She didn’t think I had what it took and basically laughed me out of her office when I first applied. Raiko was the one who put in a good word for me and got her to give me a chance. I guess that, combined with that time I helped her and Opal free Su and everyone from Kuvira…" Oh god damn it.

"Waitwaitwaitwaitwait – Raiko? What does he have to do with any of this?" Raiko was also the reason Mako got stuck with Prince Wu for almost 3 years. That guy was really starting to piss him off.

"Remember that time Varrick tried to kidnap him and you tried to warn everyone but you were in jail because Varrick had set you up and nobody believed you? Apparently, he remembered that and told Lin to give me a chance." So THAT was it. That actually made some sense, Mako knew Lin wouldn’t have given Bolin a chance without some sort of contributing outside factor. He thought maybe she’d seen something in him. But maybe she did? The answer was likely somewhere closer to the middle. "But I passed basic training, so hey! Like you said, this is my chance, and I’m gonna take it! No more Bolin: The Goofball – from now on, there is only Bolin: The Cop!" Well, Mako had to admit, his heart was in the right place at least.

"Yeah, a really goofy cop." The older brother teased with a smirk, finally pressing the ‘up’ button on the elevator, the doors opening to let them in.

****

***** *** *** *** *****

The next day, back in the South Pole, Korra and Asami were dressed and ready to go. The Future Industries CEO had radioed for one of her ships to come pick her up last night and the two of them had broken the news of their betrothal to Korra’s parents as soon as they returned home. That necklace made it kind of clear, anyway. Her father’s knowing smile from earlier that day made more sense to her now, though she was still somewhat curious as to how he knew what her intentions were. Fatherly intuition wasn’t THAT powerful, was it? But, that was ultimately unimportant – what WAS important was that the two of them had received their blessing. It was a little bit non-traditional, but hey, she was the Avatar. If anybody could take a couple of liberties with tradition, it was her. The world was changing, slowly but surely.

Packing the last of her bags and hugging her parents goodbye, Korra saddled up on Naga, pulling Asami up after her, and waved goodbye, making her way down to the harbor. Republic City… it’d only been two months, but it felt like a lifetime. She wondered how much had changed since she and Asami had left. She was both excited and a little scared to see what the city had in store for her now, but more excited than anything else. Things were going back to normal, and at the same time, they were different than they’d ever been before. But like a lot of things in her life lately, it felt right.

"As soon as we get back to the city, I’m going to go to Air Temple Island and collect my things from my old room," Korra began. After solidifying their betrothal, the two of them quickly decided that Korra would be moving in to the Sato Estate, with Asami. It was a big place, and it got kind of lonely sometimes, even with all her servants. This would certainly help. "While I do that, you can go back to your company and we can meet up again later to go see Mako and Bolin."

"Sounds like a plan," Asami agreed. Seemed Korra had thought this through. "I’ll meet you on the island, so don’t feel like you have to come looking for me. I’m sure you and Tenzin will have a lot to talk about anyway. You’re probably the first Avatar in a long time to spend so much time at once in the Spirit World." That was a good point. All of the Airbender kids would probably be itching to know how Korra’s vacation was, too. All things considered, she might actually end up spending more time there than Asami at Future Industries.

"Yeah, you’re probably right." Korra agreed right back. "I can’t wait. It feels like it’s been forever, doesn’t it? Republic City." She thought aloud.

"Yeah… it’s gonna be great to be back home, I just know it." Asami replied.

As they reached the harbor, Asami again rested her head on Korra’s shoulder, coming up to the business woman’s ship and receiving the go-ahead to come aboard from the crew. Taking one more look back at her hometown as the ship disembarked, she couldn’t help but feel like she was 18 again, heading out on her own to Republic City for the very first time as a stowaway. Come to think of it, she was on one of Asami’s ships then, too – or at least, one of her company’s ships.

She could feel it, deep down in her soul.

This was going to be one hell of an adventure.


	2. Reconstruction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Korra and Asami enjoy their time together in the South Pole, having just returned from a 2 month vacation in the Spirit World, Mako and Bolin - now a rookie cop assigned his older brother as a partner - work an unusual homicide in the city, uncovering some troubling facts about their mysterious killer.
> 
> Meanwhile, a new mover is scheduled to premiere in Republic City later in the week, its star announcing that he'll be donating a large sum of his own money to help with the reconstruction of residential areas damaged during Kuvira's attack. With VIP seats to the event already lined up, Varrick springs into action and begins inviting Republic City's most notable individuals to what is sure to be the event of the year.

# Book Five  
Chi  
  
Chapter Two  
Reconstruction

_“That’s right folks, you heard it here first! The world famous mover star, Ryuuki Ayatsurishi, is coming to Republic City to premiere his new film! A dramatic tale of murder, mystery and romance, “The Dancing Dragons” promises to change the burgeoning mover industry forever! And, as if that weren’t exciting enough, we here at The Republic City Chronicler have managed to score an exclusive radio interview with the man of many roles himself! Ryuuki – is it okay if I call you Ryuuki? – Ryuuki, tell us, what is it like to be back in Republic City for the first time since Kuvira’s devastating attack?”_

_“Well, she might not be the metropolis she was 2 months ago, but there’s still nowhere I’d rather be than Republic City, Chun. After all, it was in Republic City 2 years ago that my life was changed forever when I, an immigrant fresh off the boat from the Fire Nation with nothing to my name but the clothes on my back and a determined smile, was offered the chance to star in a new form of entertainment, pioneered by the world-famous billionaire industrialist and inventor, Sir Varrick of the Southern Water Tribe. I owe my entire career and current way of living to this city and its people, and it is for that reason that I’ve decided not only to premiere my new film here free of charge to whoever may want to see it, but to also donate a large sum of my own hard-earned mover money to help out with the reconstruction of the residential areas most badly affected by Kuvira’s attack. It’s not much, but it’s the least I can do to help out the city that once helped me.”_

_“Incredible! Truly, you are a generous man, Ryuuki – Republic City thanks you from the bottom of her heart! Now, I’ve come to learn that your new mover actually takes its name from a lesser-known traditional Firebending form? It’s no secret that you yourself are quite the talented Firebender… tell us, have you ever practiced this ancient form yourself? And how does its title relate to your new mover?”_

_“Haha, no, I’m afraid it’s not one of the forms I ever got to practice – though I’m definitely gonna give it a go if I can get the chance, now. As for how it relates to the mover, “The Dancing Dragons” tells the story of a torrid love affair between two Firebending–”_

*CLICK!*

“Mako, hey! I was listening to that! It was just getting to the good part, too! Movers have come such a long way since the days of Nuktuk… *sniff*” Bolin complained. He had to admit, he missed the mover life, sometimes, but after the fall of the Earth Queen and all those years working under Kuvira, it just didn’t feel right to spend his life doing something so frivolous anymore when he had the power to do something so much… _more_.

With as much as the allure of fame and fortune may have beckoned him, it was when he was helping others that he felt the happiest. Thus, his decision to join the police, just like his big bro. Still, none of that meant he wasn’t still a huge mover junkie and didn’t keep up on the industry and all of its big new stars and titles! And Bolin had to admit, that Ryuuki guy was really something else. It seemed that Varrick was right about what movers could end up being after all, and it was people like Ryuuki who were proving it.

“Yeah, well, you can read about it in the paper and relive your glory days later. We’re here.” Mako replied, opening the door to the Satomobile and stepping outside. Bolin huffed in response, but begrudgingly followed suit. His older brother never did quite understand the mover appeal, something which Bolin could never quite figure out. I mean, how could somebody not like movers? They were awesome! It was like reading a story, but you didn’t have to actually read or use your imagination or anything boring like that and it was happening right in front of you. It was a bit like the theater, come to think of it, but more accessible and with higher production values.

But then again, Mako still didn’t like Varrick all that much, either, so maybe that had something to do with it, and he was just bitter that the guy who framed him, threw him in prison and nearly ruined his life was the same guy who invented them. In fact, come to think of it, maybe that wasn’t such a bad reason to hate them after all? Oh, what did he know, Bolin was never really the type to carry grudges, the whole concept of those things kind of went over his head.

“They’re not my ‘glory days’ Mako. I’m not some washed up has-been, I could easily get back into the business any time I wanted! I’ve just been busy.” The former mover star defended, his voice lowering slightly when he mentioned how he’d ‘just been busy’. Mako shook his head. If that’s what helped him sleep at night.

“Whatever you say, Bolin.” Looking around the area in which the crime had taken place, Mako could feel his heart sink. He tried not to come to the more run-down parts of the city all that often unless he absolutely had to, and when he did, he tried not to take it all in, it was a depressing sight to behold. Dragon Flats was never considered a particularly safe or affluent area, but ever since Kuvira’s attack had decimated Downtown and left numerous residential areas of the city in varying states of disrepair and poverty, it’d become at least a dozen times worse, especially considering its relatively close proximity to the old Downtown and its new Spirit Portal. It was messy, crime-ridden, struggling. There wasn’t a single house without some sort of significant damage done to it, no shop without some boarded up windows and a broken facade, not a single family that wasn’t struggling to get by.

There were areas of the city that were largely unaffected, sure – plenty of them. But even then, there was also only so much space to go around, and more people displaced by singular blasts of that accursed Spirit Weapon than the city could currently accommodate, and expansion, while progressing quicker than anybody ever could’ve imagined, was still going to take some time. Of the city’s more than 15 remaining residential districts, at least half of them were somehow affected by Kuvira’s attack, so for the areas that were most badly affected and still undergoing reconstruction, the residents had little choice but to make due with whatever it was they may have had, or simply leave the city, an option not available to those in areas that were never that well-off to begin with, much like Dragon Flats.

And while some people _had_ opted to take their chances, leaving the city altogether and taking up temporary residence in neighboring towns and villages, not very many people wanted to travel any significant distance from the place that they still called home, let alone permanently move their families somewhere else in the Earth Kingdom – especially considering the fact that Earth Kingdom was technically not a thing that existed anymore. Things were far more stable and transitioning far more smoothly than just about anybody had anticipated, but there was always that lingering unease about the whole ordeal. Change was never easy, especially on such a grand, national scale.

So, a lot of people had returned to their homes, instead, damaged or not. They boarded up their battered roofs and broken walls, replaced their shattered windows, and made do with what they had, keeping a low profile and waiting for things to stabilize and normalize again as the city gradually rebuilt its damaged residential districts and expanded its new ones. But, it was no secret that the government was putting more effort into expansion than reconstruction, especially when it came to the more lower-class neighborhoods, leaving places like this to fend for themselves in a state of limbo. Not quite inhospitable, but not exactly habitable, either – receiving power, but only just. Mako may not have been a big fan of movers, but if what that Ryuuki guy said was true, and he was donating some of his money specifically to help out the more damaged areas of town like this one, then he supposed they couldn’t all be bad – at least, the people who made them.

Hell, even Varrick was throwing some money their way, though he was yet another party more interested in expansion and evolution than the restoration and preservation of the old. Places like this almost seemed to be an afterthought to him. Though, just about everything seemed to be an afterthought to that guy, from Mako’s perspective. Maybe, once Asami came back, he could try and convince her to let Varrick’s company handle the bulk of the city expansion plan for a little while, so Future Industries could crack down on repairing what was still standing out here. He still remembered what it was like living on the streets, having to fend for himself and his brother from the Triads and making _just_ enough money to survive, and anybody who still lived around here wasn’t too far removed from that sort of a lifestyle. He genuinely felt for them. He knew what this was like. That’s what made it so hard for him to be here.

“…Yo, Mako, are you okay?” Bolin asked, noticing that his brother had fallen silent. He’d basically just been standing there quietly for the last 30 seconds or so. Obviously _something_ was on his mind, Bolin just wasn’t sure if it was about the case, or something else.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry. I’m fine, I was just thinking about how terrible all this is. This used to be such a beautiful city, but now… Kuvira’s going to pay for what she’s done. Not just to this city, but every city.” Bolin fell uncharacteristically silent. He didn’t realize Mako was taking this all so hard. The Firebender subconsciously clutched his left arm, an act which immediately caught Bolin’s attention.

“Your scar again?” He asked, clearly concerned for his older brother’s well being.

“It’s nothing, we should be focusing on the case. The body was found somewhere on this block, outside of the… Che family residence.” The young detective deflected, flipping briefly through his notes to confirm. Begrudgingly, Bolin followed along with Mako’s shift in the topic, though a concerned look still painted his face as his brother turned and walked on ahead of him. He was following closely behind him this time, though, he wasn’t going to be left behind a third time in one day. That’d be a little ridiculous, even for him.

Taking a look around as they walked, Bolin, too, took in the sad state of the city that he called home. Places close to the old Downtown like this one were some of the worst-off and most overcrowded, both by humans, and by spirits. Though, curiously, Bolin couldn’t see _any_ spirits out in the streets today – just a lot of very worn and wary people, eying them as they walked around in their police uniforms. The lack of spirits certainly struck him as odd, but the uncomfortable feeling he was getting from the people’s staring was quickly overpowering any theories he may have had as to why they’d all leave the area, never mind his concern for his big bro, which was overpowering even that uncomfortableness. Returning his focus back to Mako, Bolin spoke up.

“You know, if your scar’s still bothering you, you should have Korra take a look at it when she gets back from her vacation. Remember that time I hurt my shoulder, back when we were still part of the whole Pro Bending scene? She’s actually a pretty good healer. If it’s still hurting you, then I’m sure she could–”

“This should be the place.” Mako interrupted. Wow. For a Firebender, Mako could sure be pretty cold, sometimes. Then again, Bolin _had_ just kind of hit on two of the three things that most bothered his brother to talk about these days: his scar – which he normally kept concealed by wearing long sleeves and gloves whenever he was out and about now – and Korra. The third one was Asami. Bolin figured it probably had something to do with the fact that he’d dated both of them in the past, but Mako seemed to be awfully annoyed that the two of them ran off on some impromptu vacation without telling or inviting either of them.

Personally, Bolin didn’t mind. He figured they could use some time off and to themselves. But as days turned to weeks and weeks stretched into months, Mako seemed to get just a little bit more frustrated any time that they got brought up in conversation. A fact he stubbornly denied, of course. It was such a shame, too – up until he’d heard she’d left without a word, Mako seemed to be on some pretty good terms with Korra, again. It really hurt Bolin’s heart to see cracks appearing in Team Avatar again, but unfortunately, until Korra returned, he didn’t think there was much he could really do to fix it.

As the two of them arrived at their destination, Mako’s knocking on the pop-marked wooden door of the Che residence brought an end to Bolin’s train of thought, snapping him back to attention. He’d have to worry about his brother later, which was precisely the point of Mako’s insistence on working. Well, that and the fact that both of them actually were at work right now. But hey, you can’t blame a guy for being worried about his brother, right? All of that would have to wait though, Mako’s words about acting a little more professionally echoing in his mind. Shaking off his concern for the time being, he straightened his standing position and kept his hands at his sides, standing at attention behind and to the right of his older brother.

“Who’s there? What do you want? Whatever it is, we ain’t got any!” Replied the voice from behind the door.

“Mr. Che? I’m Detective Mako, from the Republic City Police Department. I’m here to follow up on the events from last night. I was wondering if I could ask you some more questions?”

“No, I told the detectives that were here earlier everything I know already. Now go away!” Mr. Che shouted back. Well, _somebody_ didn’t want to be disturbed.

“Sir, please, it’ll only take a couple of minutes. I was hoping you could clarify some–” However, much like he had interrupted Bolin moments before, the man behind the door interrupted Mako in return.

“I said no! Now please, go away! The last thing my family needs right now is to be seen associating with cops!” Mako sighed. He was probably assuming the body had something to do with the Triads. Mako couldn’t blame him. Since Kuvira’s attack, they’d been stronger and more menacing than ever, taking full advantage of the chaos and struggling populace to gain new recruits and tighten their hold on the city while they still could. It was taking everything the city had to fight back against them and it _still_ didn’t feel like enough a lot of the time. To be perfectly honest, it was pretty dangerous for the two of them to be out here at all. According to their most recent intel, the Triple Threats had been especially active in this area as of late, effectively taking it as a part of their territory.

“Well, looks like we’re on our own with this one…” Mako complained, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Today just did _not_ want to go his way, did it? Bolin frowned. People were really scared, weren’t they? Clearly, approaching this like a cop wasn’t working, so instead, Bolin decided he would try something a little different…

“Here, let me give it a shot.” The younger brother spoke up, cracking his knuckles. _His time had come_. Before Mako could register his words and stop him, however, he’d already gone and knocked on the door. Great. Now the witness was going to be uncooperative and angry. Juuuust perfect.

“Now what!? I told you guys to go away!” The man behind the door shouted out again, clearly more than a little frustrated.

“Sir? Hi, I’m Bolin, I’m new. See, this is actually my first case with the force, and my partner and I could _really_ use your help in solving it. I’m sure you saw the body earlier today, right? Man, that thing was creepy, wasn’t it? I felt like I was gonna be sick just looking at that thing. Anyway, I dunno about you, but I wanna find whoever it is that can do _that_ and get them off the streets as quickly as possible, but in order to do that, I’m really gonna need your help. Right now, you’re the best lead we’ve got.” Really? _That_ was Bolin’s plan? So much for ‘acting more professionally’, now he was just talking to him like he was a child. Mako sighed, bracing himself for the impending screaming.

“…Wait, did you say your name was Bolin? Now why does that sound so familiar… hmm…” Or… not?

“You might know me better as Nuktuk: Hero of the South? I also used to be a Pro Bender for a while there – the one and only Earthbender of the spectacular Fire Ferrets! Well, unless you count the Avatar. Technically she was a Waterbender, but being the Avatar she could bend all four elements so she was technically an Earthbender, too, so I guess wasn’t the ONLY Earthbender of the Fire Ferrets, but–”

“Wait, did you say Nuktuk?” Mr. Che asked.

“…Oh you have GOT to be kidding me.” Mako facepalmed. Much to his chagrin, the door finally opened, and standing behind it was a man who appeared to be in his mid-to-late 40’s with his family standing behind him – a wife, a daughter of about 14, and a single pet cat owl. The look on the man and his daughter’s face said it all. “This is unbelievable.” The Firebender muttered, shaking his head.

“IT IS YOU!” Mr. Che cried out, his daughter’s eyes coming alive as she ran out to hug Bolin while his wife simply stared in wonder from within the dilapidated home. As Bolin hugged his young fan back, her father immediately became more hospitable. “Why didn’t you say so? My daughter and I are huge fans of your movers! Nuktuk: Hero of the South, defender of all that is right and sworn enemy of the evil Unalaq! Man, whatever happened to you? When did you go and get yourself involved in police work?” How long had it been since he’d met a legitimate fan? The sparkle in Bolin’s eye was unmistakable. Maybe today wasn’t so bad, after all, at least for him.

“Well, after the civil war between the Water Tribes ended, I decided to take a break from the movers for a bit and help the Avatar recruit some Airbenders for the new Air Nation! A lot of really crazy stuff happened around that time, like when I found my Grandma in Ba Sing Se, or when I discovered that I could Lavabend, but long story short, I decided I wanted to try and use my bending to become a real-life Nuktuk and help and protect people! My first attempt didn’t really go so well and I kind of got swindled and then hunted down by Kuvira for a while, but after I escaped her evil clutches and helped take down her Colossus, I decided that the best thing for me to do would be to join the police force and help protect the city while it rebuilds! Which is why I’m here today, actually. Like I said before, this is my first case, and my brother and I _really_ need your help in putting all the pieces together here.” Bolin explained.

While a lengthy explanation like that would probably bore or confuse most people, Mr. Che and his daughter appeared to be completely entranced, hooked on every word that their favorite mover star said. They were still trying to comprehend the fact that they were talking to _the_ Nuktuk. “Wow, and I thought Nuktuk led a wild life, no wonder he was so cool.” The man deduced. “Of course we’ll help, anything you need!” Bolin turned around briefly, shooting his brother a knowing smirk and raising an eyebrow before turning back to the witness and his family. If Mako’s jaw was any lower, it’d probably be on the ground right about now.

“Right! So, if you could walk us through the events of last night one more time?” Bolin began, taking Mako’s pen and notepad while he was standing there in shock. Seeing as he was the one that the family had warmed up to, he figured he might as well be the one to ask the questions this time around.

“Of course. Like I told the detectives that came by earlier, sometime late last night, around 1AM maybe, my family and I were woken up by flashing lights and sounds of fighting coming from outside. We huddled against the back wall, not wanting to get too close, thinking maybe it was the Triads getting into another turf war over our part of the city, but something just felt… off. I’m not sure how to explain it, really, but I just had this really sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, and the air around me felt really, really heavy. Then there was a really bright flash of light and everything just stopped, and the feeling went away. After things had quieted down for a couple minutes, I took a look outside the window, but it was too dark to really see anything, so we’d assumed whatever was going on was over now and whoever was out there had run off. We went back to sleep maybe a half hour later, and then when I opened the door this morning to see if any damage had been done to our house, I saw the body lying in the street and I called the police. I’m just glad that my daughter didn’t have to see it, it was horrible…” The father recited, a concerned look on his face as he glanced over at the young girl. She frowned in response, sensing his fear.

“I see… hmm…” The rookie officer hummed, jotting down a couple of his own notes into Mako’s notebook, being sure to keep it on a page separate from his brother’s. He seemed to be putting an emphasis on the strange feeling that the witness had described… did he have some sort of theory? “Can you remember what color these lights you saw were?” He followed up.

“Hmm… I think they were white.” The father nodded. His daughter, however, shook her head, interjecting.

“No, they were blue, like the sky, and really really bright.” She corrected.

“Ahh, that’s right. I guess my eyes aren’t what they used to be, their brightness really made them seem more white than blue, to me…” Bolin nodded, taking careful note of the color and connecting it back to the feeling that Mr. Che had described. Whenever Mako did his Lightningbending, Bolin got a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, too, and it usually fired off in a very bright, whitish-blue color, just like they’d described. Based on that description, his best guess was that at least one of the parties involved was a Firebender with the ability to conjure up Lightning. While certainly more prevalent today than it used to be, this was still a _very_ advanced skill, one that, relatively speaking, very few Firebenders actually had.

“Well, from what you’ve just described, I’d guess that at least one of the benders could use Lightning. My brother can do that too, so I’m familiar with the feeling. The colors and description of a bright light match, and it can be a pretty unsettling feeling if you’ve never been close to a Lightningbender before.” Bolin explained, finishing writing everything down. “That actually helps us out a lot. Now we know at least one of the people involved was a really skilled Firebender, there aren’t many people who know how to create lightning. This gives us a much smaller suspect pool to go through.”

“Ah, I’m glad to hear that. But could lightning really do that to a person? That body looked more… mummified than burned.” Mr. Che thought aloud. Bolin shrugged.

“I dunno, it’s always possible that the victim was the Lightningbender, or that he was attacked by multiple people and one of them had the ability but somebody else actually killed him. Either way, this narrows things down, and now we actually have something to start working with. This is going to be really helpful in moving forward with the investigation! Thank you for all of your help.” Bolin smiled warmly, genuinely thankful for their quick turnaround and detailed explanation of the events.

“Of course, anything for the mighty Nuktuk.” The man smiled back.

“Oh, that’s right! You two are fans, right? I might technically be on the clock right now, but since I’m here, how would you like an autograph, anyway?” The look in Mr. Che and his daughter’s faces as they glanced briefly at each other and then back to Bolin said it all. Running back inside for a moment, when the girl came back out, she was holding a pristine Nuktuk poster in her hands. It was in remarkably good condition given the way the rest of her home looked, it almost looked as though it had been framed.

“It’s my prized possession. Just write it out to Wang Ping and Li Li.” She stated, excitedly handing it over to Bolin to sign. Nodding, he thought for a moment, writing down a few words of encouragement – from Nuktuk, of course – along with the dedication to the two of them and his signature next to Nuktuk’s own. Handing it back to the girl, Li Li, she squeaked in excitement, immediately running back inside in order to show it off to her mom. Meanwhile, her father, Wang Ping, thanked the former mover star more properly, shaking his hand.

“Thank you. Things have been really tough for us lately, I haven’t seen my daughter happy like that in a long time.” He explained. Bolin shook his head.

“No, thank you – you’ve helped us out quite a bit. I wish you and your family the best!” He cheered, waving goodbye as Mr. Che stepped back inside, closing the door and returning to his family.

Meanwhile, Mako continued to just stand there, trying to wrap his head around the scene that’d just unfolded in front of him. “What the hell just happened?” He asked, though his intentions were more rhetorical than serious.

“I just got us a lead.” Bolin confidently replied, starting back down the street to the police cruiser. Mako, however, continued to stand there for a while, rethinking pretty much the entirety of his life up until this point. Did that _seriously_ just happen? By the time that he had snapped out of it, Bolin was already half way down the street. Seemed that Mako was going to be the one having to play catch up, this time.

***** *** *** *** *****

As the last of the day’s light disappeared from outside the window, Mako let loose a tired yawn. What a long day it had been. First day back on the beat in almost 3 years and he ends up walking into an entirely new precinct, gets immediately saddled with the darkest, strangest case of his career, got paired up with his _brother_ of all people as a partner, and then got upstaged by said brother during a witness interview that he probably never would’ve gotten without him, complete with an entirely new lead that earlier detectives had failed to pick up on. And it was that lead that was keeping him sitting at his desk in the new station tonight, looking through the books for any and all known or registered Lightningbenders.

Even if the haystack was considerably smaller than it was before, the fact remained that this was still a ‘needle in a haystack’ situation. Relaying the new information to Dr. Lou after they’d returned to the station a few hours earlier, he’d confirmed that there were no signs of scorching consistent with a hit from a Lightningbender, nor did the state of the corpse reflect that of one struck by lightning at all, directly or otherwise, though light scorching on the fingertips did indicate the possibility that the victim had fired off some lightning themselves at close range. Armed with this new information, all he and his brother had to do now was figure out which of over 100 registered Firebenders with lightning conjuring capabilities was their victim, following up on the whereabouts of each and every one of them – a very time-consuming process which had kept the both of them busy for almost 6 hours now.

And this was assuming that their victim was even registered in the first place – it was entirely possible that they were a new or previously uncaptured member of the Triads, or an immigrant, or just some random Zhou who neglected to register their bending abilities with the United Republic, any one of those possibilities making it next to impossible to track them down. Given the current state of the body, matching faces was impossible, but Mako _could_ use the corpse’s height and estimated weight before death in order to help him narrow down the search. So far, however, he’d had no luck. And from the looks of things, neither did Bolin, who appeared to have fallen fast asleep in his chair.

“Bolin. Hey, Bolin.” The Firebender shook his brother, trying to wake him from his little nap. Reluctantly, the Earthbender stirred.

“Huh? What? I’m awake chief…” Bolin mumbled, stretching out his arms and letting loose a yawn. “…Oh, it’s you Mako. What is it? Did you find our guy?” He asked.

“No, no luck yet. But hey, it’s been a long day, and you’re clearly pretty exhausted. Why don’t you head back to the apartment and get some sleep? I’ll finish up here tonight. I’m still waiting on that call from Dr. Lou, anyway.” He suggested. His brother shook his head.

“It’s fine, I can stay a little while longer. It’s not like I have anything to do until later on, anyway. I’m taking Opal out to dinner at 9 – one of our favorite restaurants reopened last week and I promised her I’d take her tonight. But until then, I’m all for working a little overtime!” Bolin explained. He really didn’t want to leave the station until they either had a name they could put to that horrible, horrible face, or it was time to go meet up with Opal. He felt like they were really, really close to a breakthrough, and he really didn’t want to miss it. But, as it happened…

“…Uh, Bolin? It IS later. It’s almost 8:45 right now.” Mako wasn’t sure if there were words that could adequately describe the look of sheer terror that overtook Bolin’s face in that moment. And quite frankly, neither am I. It was the kind of look you’d see on somebody walking in on somebody else doing something that shouldn’t be walked in on. The kind of look you’d expect an ant to be making as it realized it was about to be crushed by a boot. A face comparable to that made upon the discovery that 100,000 angry hornets have decided to build a nest in your bedroom and you just realized you’re allergic to hornet stings. It was that kind of a look.

“OHHHHHH CRAP. Crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap!” Bolin cursed, pulling at his hair as he jumped up from his seat and ran in place, looking around the room for an exit. “I can NOT miss another date, Opal’s about ready to kill me as it is! Sorry Mako, looks like I’m not gonna be able to help tonight aftERALLGOODLUCK!” He called, his words becoming progressively louder and more scrunched together as he dashed out the room at supersonic speeds, leaving the detective alone with his list of Lightningbenders once more. Well, it was more-or-less what he’d suggested in the first place, anyway…

Mako leaned back and stretched out his back and shoulders, letting loose another tired yawn. Much as he may have wanted to follow his brother’s footsteps and get out of here himself, he didn’t have such a convenient to excuse he could justify it to himself with. He had no reason _not_ to be here right now, and working overtime was always kind of his thing ever since he’d broken up with Korra. A lot of people on the force had always joked that the only thing Mako’s heart belonged to was his desk, and on nights like these, he could kind of see why. Who else stays 2½ hours past the end of their shift making phone calls chasing down a lead? But he just couldn’t bring himself to leave something like this unfinished. If there was more that could be done, he was going to do it. Then he could rest.

As it stood, he was still waiting on that call from the M.E. downstairs. It was getting late, but he’d be able to sleep a bit easier knowing that he’d made more headway on the case than “The victim was a Lightningbender”. That wasn’t good enough for him and it certainly wasn’t going to be good enough for Chief Beifong, either. The way he saw it, right now, figuring out the cause of that discoloration and putting a name to that face was the most important thing right now. If they could crack that mystery, then maybe…

As if on cue, the phone situated on Mako’s desk began to ring. Picking it up almost immediately, it was exactly who he was hoping it’d be. “Dr. Lou! Does this mean you’ve managed to figure out the cause of that discoloration? …I see …Uh-huh …Got it, I’m on my way down.” The message he’d been waiting for finally received, the detective hung up the phone, picked up the file of Lightningbenders on his desk, and headed out of the office and back towards the elevator. With any luck, this would be the break in the case he was looking for.

Arriving at the basement about a minute and a half later, as the elevator doors opened, Mako walked out into the long, dimly lit hall of the morgue, passing by a number of dark and empty rooms until coming upon the one he was looking for – Room 5 – which also happened to be the only one currently in use. It seemed that this place was a bit understaffed, as well.

“So doctor, you said I might actually be able to identify the body now?” He asked, rounding the corner through the open door and finding a much different – but still rather disturbing – looking body in front of him, the aforementioned Dr. Lou hovering over it, seeming to be finishing up his second examination, his focus currently being on the victim’s face. It was no longer on the examination table like it had been earlier in the day, which had now been cleared off and cleaned, but rather one of the many freezer drawers in the wall, ‘bagged and tagged’ with only the top left open as the doctor performed his last quick cursory exam of the night.

“Yes, I’ve managed to rehydrate it somewhat. It looks more like a floater than a mummy now, and it’s not perfect, but… it’s better than what we had before, I suppose.” He mused, turning around to meet the detective. “Oh? Only one of you this time? Well, I suppose we can’t all be married to our work.” He shrugged, removing his gloves and sitting back down at his desk, jotting down his last few notes before heading out.

“Yeah, Bolin had a… prior engagement. Technically, our shifts ended almost 3 hours ago, anyway. We’ve just been working overtime trying to track down any missing Lightningbenders who might fit what we know about the victim. No luck so far, but I’m hoping maybe you’ve managed to reconstruct their body enough that I can at least partially match their face to one of the photos on file.” The medical examiner nodded.

“It might be possible. You can take a look for yourself if you’d like. In the process of trying to rehydrate his body, I’ve also managed to bring a bit more definition back to that discoloration your partner spotted earlier today. From what I can tell, it looks to be a hand print. It’s a bit distorted, but it lends some credibility to the theory that this was some form of bending, I suppose.” He explained, though his tone seemed uncertain.

“…A hand print? So he was burned, then?” Mako asked. The doctor thought for a moment.

“Well, possibly, but not by a Firebender. At least, I wouldn’t think. If this is a burn, it’s a very mild one, nothing like what you would expect a fiery hand to the face would entail. Quite frankly, I’m not sure what caused it. Nevertheless, I’m surprised this whole rehydration thing worked out as well as it did, I’ve never really had to do anything like this before. You’re just lucky I’m a Waterbender, I’m not sure an ordinary person would’ve been able to do this.” Not that this was a terribly uncommon trait in the medical field, considering Waterbenders could, on occasion, manifest natural healing abilities. So far as Mako knew, Dr. Lou was one such Waterbender, but he seemed to prefer working with non-living patients, for whatever reason.

Nevertheless, it was now clear that their victim was male, though it was difficult to gauge his age since he was still in pretty poor condition. But, he was recognizable enough that when Mako took a closer look at his face, he was almost immediately able to identify him – he’d seen him when he was going through the list of names upstairs.

“…Two-Faced Kazuo. He was an enforcer for the Triple Threats, and a pretty high-ranking one at that.” Mako identified with confidence. After having read through his file, he was almost surprised somebody had actually managed to kill him – he was infamous for his cunning and ferocity with bending, never mind his especially duplicitous nature. Thus the name, ‘Two-Faced Kazuo’. He was a con man among con men and didn’t take kindly to traitors to the organization, or to cops. He’d taken down more than a few good men in his day, on both sides of the law. Mako couldn’t say he was sad to see him go, but he was still at a loss as to who could – or even would – have killed him. Crossing the Triads and taking out one of their higher-ranking officers was typically bad for a person’s health.

The way Mako saw it, this was either a crime of opportunity and somebody had actually managed to catch him off guard and overpower the guy, or this was the work of a rival gang. Either way, this was going to be a pain in the ass – the Triple Threats were NOT going to be happy about this one. The detective remained silent for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts. He was hoping that putting a name to the face would help explain things, but honestly, the more he thought about it, it only seemed to raise more questions. Given who he was, most cops would probably just consider this an open-and-shut case of violence between rival gangs, but that explanation didn’t really sit right with Mako. There were just too many unanswered questions and the manner in which he was killed was just too unusual, even for the Triads. It wasn’t like anything he’d ever seen before.

As the doctor had explained earlier, it was always possible that this was just some horrifying new form of Waterbending, but it seemed to be closer to Bloodbending in execution. But then, Bloodbending wasn’t something that just anybody could do, and virtually _no one_ could do it without a Full Moon in the sky in order to enhance their Waterbending powers. So unless Yakone had some more kids running around Republic City that nobody knew about, he somehow got the feeling that that wasn’t it, either. Besides, whatever did this had drained more than just his blood. According to the preliminary report he’d read earlier, it had taken absolutely everything, every drop of liquid in his body – even his internal organs were left shriveled up and dry. To be perfectly honest, this didn’t even seem like bending to Mako, this almost seemed… inhuman.

“…Doctor, during your second examination, did you come across anything that might be able to help better explain what did this to him?” He asked. He knew he’d probably just get the same theories as before, but he couldn’t be sure until he asked. It was always possible he’d made a new discovery during the second examination.

“No… but, I did notice something a little strange when I was trying to circulate the water through his body.” Mako raised an eyebrow.

“Strange? Strange how?” The Waterbender turned around, removing his thick, round glasses to look Mako directly in the eye, the look on his face markedly more serious than it was before. So. It was that kind of strange.

“Put simply, this man has absolutely no chi left in him whatsoever.” He opened. “Now, I know what you’re thinking – he’s dead, right? Why would a dead man have any chi? But chi doesn’t just suddenly disappear the instant you die, it’s stored in all of your muscles and bones and pathways and internal organs, and it leaves your body gradually as it decays, returning to the world around it. So unless somebody has been dead for at least a couple of weeks – which I am certain that this man was not – then normally, you’d expect to find at least a little bit of chi leftover, but… this man has none. It was as though it was drained from him along with every fluid in his body. And for that, I have no explanation.” The look on Mako’s face became decidedly more grim. Bending that could remove chi? Was that even possible? The more he heard, the more he began to side with his gut on this one – this did not seem human.

“…You don’t think… a spirit could have done this, do you?” Dr. Lou remained silent. He didn’t want to go there, himself, but he was struggling to think of anything else that could possibly do this to a person. This was not a normal death. The virtual mummification was one thing, but completely draining somebody else’s chi? There was no bender that could do that. This was, quite simply, beyond him.

“That… detective… is something you’re going to have to figure out for yourself.” He replied, putting his glasses back on and adjusting his tie, standing up from his desk and moving back to the body in order to zip it up and put it back into storage. “I’m afraid I’ve done all I can with Mr. Kazuo here. I don’t think his body has any more secrets to be divulged. I will be returning it to storage and submitting my report to Chief Beifong in the morning. I suggest you head home and get some rest tonight, doctor’s recommendation. Whatever happened here, you’re going to want to go at it at 100%. I will remain reachable should another case present itself, but for now, I will be heading home to get some much needed rest, I’ve been going non-stop since yesterday evening. Goodnight, detective.” With that, Dr. Lou closed and locked the drawer, giving a short bow as he headed for the doorway, hanging up his white lab coat and in its stead, grabbing his brown hat and jacket from a chair by the door as he headed out. He’d seen all he needed to see for one night.

Mako just stood there for a moment. If this was the act of an angry spirit, then Korra sure picked one hell of a time to disappear on a 2+ month vacation. Letting loose an annoyed sigh, Mako sunk. The doctor was right. He’d been at this all day, a little relaxation couldn’t hurt. With Bolin preoccupied with his date with Opal, he supposed he’d might as well head back to their apartment and enjoy some time alone while he had it. Something told him this was going to be a very long week.

***** *** *** *** *****

The next morning, in one of Republic City’s newer, rapidly expanding districts, a tall, dark-skinned man sat behind his desk at what was currently the topmost completed floor of the new Future Industries Tower, one of the first buildings to be relocated and reconstructed in the aftermath of Kuvira’s attack. Though the sounds of construction raged on above him as benders and non-benders alike bent and raised the steel girders and thick, white granite walls that defined the half-completed building, his work was much too important for him to allow something as meager as background noise interrupt him.

As the temporary head of Future Industries, he was a very busy man, and as much as he may have wanted to join his crew in erecting this new tower for his boss and the city alike, he knew that his place right now was here, signing contracts, reviewing plans and making sure that everything was continuing to run smoothly on a company-wide level throughout the city. Even with all of the extra help from Zaofu’s Metalbenders and volunteers from around the country, Future Industries was being spread thin. Real thin. They must’ve had 8 different projects ongoing as it was _at least_ , and there were more and more coming in every day. Help from Varrick Global Industries was certainly much appreciated, but the man also knew that they, too, were likely having trouble keeping up with their own workload. This was a fight that Future Industries would have to win, for the most part, on its own.

However, it wasn’t all bad news. In fact, he’d just received the best news he’d heard all week. It appeared that his boss and the true CEO of the company, Asami Sato, was finally on her way back from her vacation in the Spirit World aboard one of the company’s fastest ships, en route from the South Pole. It appeared that she and her vacationing companion, Avatar Korra, had elected to visit the Southern Water Tribe and spend a day with the Avatar’s family before heading back to Republic City the long way. At first, he questioned why she didn’t just traverse the Spirit Portals and return through the new one that’d opened up in the middle of the city, but then, he didn’t really know the exact layout of the Spirit World – for all he knew, that could’ve been an even longer trip.

Besides, he suspected that she may have wanted to drag out her vacation just a little bit longer before jumping back into _this_ stressful position. He couldn’t blame her. He’d also had his suspicions about the exact nature of her vacation since day one, immediately assuming that it was about more than just a little R &R with a good friend. After all, you usually didn’t disappear into a pillar of light at sunset for two months with a “good friend” and not contact anybody else while you were away. But, that was none of his business. What or who the boss was up to in her spare time was her thing, who was he to judge? And after losing her father like that, she more than deserved all the time off. Much as he was getting tired of being stuck behind a desk, he wouldn’t mind holding the position a little longer, for her sake. After all, she was more than just the boss, she was also an old friend.

“Ravi, sir,” Ravi’s bright, golden-brown eyes immediately darted up to the door. It appeared that his receptionist, Wei, had some news for him. “The captain says he’s picked up Ms. Sato and the Avatar from the Southern Water Tribe and is on course to be here by sometime late tomorrow afternoon.” The red-haired man gave a silent nod in response, the receptionist exiting the room immediately after.

Just one more day of this, huh? He was a little surprised, but then, Asami HAD asked for their fastest ship – he couldn’t go underestimating one of their own, now. Apparently, the Avatar wanted to weigh in on Kuvira’s trial before they got to sentencing, so they were in something of a rush to get back. An understandable position. From what he’d heard, the Avatar did everything in her power to spare Kuvira’s life once before, during the battle with her Colossus, so it stood to reason in his mind that she would try and do so again. He couldn’t say he quite understood it, but that’s why he wasn’t the Avatar, he supposed. That wasn’t to say that he wasn’t a damn good bender, though – he was one of the best Earthbenders he knew – but he took a decidedly more… simple approach to things.

That’s what made him so good at his job, and for filling the position that he was currently in. He was a simple man who took a simple approach, and if the things he was doing were not intrinsically simple, he worked at it until he found the simplest possible way he could go about it. He was all about meeting new challenges and studying them and figuring them out, mastering them in his own unique way. It’s what he’d done with the management of Future Industries, and what he was doing with his Metalbending training. One of his volunteer workers had graciously, well, volunteered, to teach him a couple of times a week. He felt like he was starting to get the hang of it.

Leaning back in his seat and placing his feet atop his desk, Ravi folded his hands behind his head and looked up to the ceiling, closing his eyes. Soon, he’d be back where he _really_ wanted to be, helping put this city back together piece by piece. It wouldn’t be too much longer now.

His rest was short-lived, however, as one of his business partners – head of Varrick Global Industries, Sir Varrick himself – came barging through the door before his receptionist could alert him. _“Typical Varrick.”_ He thought to himself, a sigh escaping his grinning lips as he removed his feet from his desk, sat back up, and met the Southern Water Tribe billionaire face-to-face. “Ah, Varrick, I wasn’t expecting you.” He opened, though the aforementioned billionaire didn’t really seem to be paying much attention to him, his focus instead on checking out the temporary CEO’s new office space. He’d just moved up here a few days ago when construction had completed, working out of a small office space on the ground floor up until then.

“Nobody expects me, kid, not even me. All part of the Varrick experience!” Well, he wasn’t wrong. Perhaps the only one who really expected anything Varrick came up with was his assistant turned wife and business partner, Zhu Li, who was standing quietly beside him, as per usual. Then again, compared to Varrick, just about everybody seemed quiet. “By the way, loving the new office space, much more spacious and refined than that dingy closet you were using last time I swung by. Now THIS is a room where decisions can get made!”

“Thank you, I think? But we’re not planning to move the office again unless Ms. Sato decides to upon her return, so yes, this is likely permanent.” The red-haired man explained. “So, Mr. Varrick, what can Future Industries do for you today?” He asked.

“Hm? Oh, no, actually, it’s what I can do for you! See, I’ve got some primo seats lined up for the premiere of that new mover they were talking about on the radio yesterday, “The Dancing Dragons”, so I’m inviting a bunch of people and making an event out of it! We’ve all been working our butts off lately building and rebuilding this city, so I figured why not take a night off and enjoy some quality entertainment? I’m telling you, this Ryuuki kid’s a talent like I’ve never seen, it’s like he was BORN TO LIE!” Varrick exclaimed with excitement. His… exuberant, personality may have caught the interim CEO off guard in the past, but he’d become at least partially accustomed to it by now. It just took him a little while to adjust.

“Well, thank you for the invitation, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline for now. I’ve just received word that Ms. Sato will be returning to us tomorrow afternoon, so there’s a lot I have to get done before she arrives. I can’t have her inheriting all of my messes now, you know?” Ravi explained. A mover did sound nice, but there was just too much work to be done. Honestly, he wondered how Varrick found the time for it. Then again, his business practices were always more than a little unorthodox, so he’d probably found some way to keep things together for the occasional night off here or there. Sometimes, he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe those rumors of him having a platypus bear on his board of directors were true.

“Oh, Asami’s coming back? That’s great news! I’m surprised she’s been gone so long, actually, even Zhu Li’s and my honeymoon didn’t last more than a couple of weeks! That girl must’ve been all kinds of tired, let me tell ya.” Varrick shrugged. Well, there was a bit more to it than just that, but he wasn’t wrong. “Anyway, the premiere isn’t for another couple days, so that should be enough time to get things in order, no? In fact, invite Korra and Asami for me when they get back! I’ve already got the President and his wife lined up, might as well go for the whole shebang of Republic City’s leaders, eh? Guess I’d better go see if that stick-in-the-mud Tenzin would be up for it as well.” Varrick thought aloud. A few days from now? Well, in that case…

“Oh? That _would_ be better, actually. I’ll pass along your invitation and see what she says. Perhaps we can work something out.” Ravi explained simply.

“GREAT!” However, there was nothing simple about Varrick, only over-the-top. “Looking forward to it! Oh, I’d better go invite Bolin too, he used to be a part of the movers. He should definitely be up for it! Zhu Li, we’re off!” …And just as soon as he’d arrived, he was gone. But at least Zhu Li was a bit more polite.

“Sorry for the intrusion. I hope you can manage to work something out, it would be wonderful to have you, Asami and everyone join us, Ravi. Later.” She bowed, exiting the room after her new husband, who’d elected to wait for his wife outside the door rather than take off like he usually would. Ravi bowed his head briefly from behind his desk in response, the room returning to the background static of construction noises from before after they had left. Varrick always did have a tendency to be the loudest thing in a room.

Well. Those visits were always ‘fun’, he supposed. This one just happened to cut right into his scheduled break time. So much for taking a little nap… With an overworked sigh, he reluctantly returned to work.

***** *** *** *** *****

Meanwhile, back at his apartment, a freshly showered and mostly dressed Mako prepared a simple, buttered toast breakfast at a small counter set against the rear wall, an old radio sitting atop his fridge left on and tuned in to a local Jazz station in the background. Taking a bite of the first slice as soon as he was finished buttering it, the young Firebender knocked twice on the wall of his two room apartment as he walked back toward the couch in the middle of the room, hoping to hurry his brother along. Not only had he spent more than half the night out with his girlfriend and woke up over half an hour later than intended, but now he was dragging his feet and taking forever to get dressed, too, responding primarily in tired grunts and moans when prompted.

If there was one thing Bolin was not, it was a morning person, which just made his chipper attitude and early arrival to the station yesterday all the more surprising to the detective. Maybe it was just a fluke? “Bolin, come on, we’re going to be late!” Mako called from the couch as he briefly took a seat, taking another bite out of his breakfast. It was simple, but it was also quick, both to eat and to make, especially with his Firebending – precisely what he needed right now. As it stood, if the two of them left sometime within the next 10 minutes, they _might_ be able to make it to the precinct on time, provided the traffic wasn’t too heavy this morning. But, with the city still deep in the midst of construction and the station located in one of the busiest, half-completed new districts, he found that somewhat unlikely.

Between all of the crowds, construction crews, and building materials lying in the streets and all of the road work that was going on, getting much of anywhere in this town was a real pain, these days. Though to be honest, it was a miracle that all the newer districts were as complete, navigable and habitable as they were, given how short of a time it’d been. Without all of the help from Zaofu’s Metalbenders – feeling somewhat responsible for Kuvira’s actions and genuinely wanting to help out their allies in the United Republic – and all of the neighboring states sending in so many architects and volunteers, they probably wouldn’t be even half as far along as they were right now. But, there was still a lot of work to be done before any of what had currently been tacked on could be considered complete or functional.

Last he’d checked the paper, if the current rate of work continued, it was estimated that the current Republic City Reconstruction & Expansion Plan would be completed within the space of about a year and a half – factoring in the reconstruction of the residential districts most badly affected by Kuvira’s weapon, of course. Which as it happened, didn’t appear to be one of the United Republic’s primary concerns right now, thus potentially dragging things out an extra 6 months. If a bit more effort was put into cleaning up and restoring what was already there, then maybe things wouldn’t be as crime-ridden and hectic as they were, but right now, it was all about progress and expansion for the government and anything else was an afterthought. And as far as Mako was concerned, it was going to be holding this place back.

Speaking of the paper, since he still had a little time until Bolin finished getting ready, he figured he might as well see what was going on in the city beyond the precinct today. This quickly revealed itself to be a bad idea, however, as he was immediately greeted by the Republic City Chronicler’s top story of the day: “Strange Body Found in Dragon Flats Leaves Police Stumped”. Mako sighed, something he seemed to be doing a lot of lately. But if he didn’t, he felt like his head was going to explode. How did the press even find out about…? Oh, who was he kidding, it was the press, how DIDN’T those leeches find out about something. The Chief was going to tear him a new one for this. Whether it was his fault or not, it was his case, and that meant it was his responsibility. Even if it wasn’t actually his responsibility.

The second top story was a little better, at least: “Avatar and Head of Future Industries Picked Up from South Pole: Avatar and Ms. Sato slated to return to Republic City tomorrow afternoon”. Given his recent theories about his current case, Mako couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief come over him knowing that Korra was _finally_ on her way back, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t feeling a little anxious, as well. It’d been two months without a word – she never even told him that she was leaving, let alone where she was going. He had to hear the news secondhand from her parents before they left the party.

He thought that the two of them were finally on good terms again, but then she just goes and runs off with Asami? What the hell was even up with those two lately? Apparently she’d actually bothered to write back to her while she was recuperating, but not him or Bolin? Granted, a master wordsmith he was not, and his letters were probably more painful to read than the poison, but that kind of hurt. He’d forgiven her for it a while ago, but things between those two just hadn’t been adding up lately. They seemed to be closer than ever while he was kind of just third-wheeling all the time, and he couldn’t exactly put his finger on why.

The answer, of course, was obvious, but it wasn’t one that _this_ detective was going to be sleuthing out anytime soon. That thought hadn’t even crossed his mind. Coincidentally, it WAS one of Bolin’s many theories, but he only considered it a “theory” as much as it was a “theory” that there was life on other planets that knew about and wanted to take ours from us for the purposes of obtaining all our gold. It wasn’t as much a “theory” as it was an extremely remote possibility that couldn’t possibly be true. Another completely wrong assumption from the Super Bending Bros. …The first one, that is. The alien one is just plain nuts.

Finally, Bolin stepped out of the bedroom, sliding open the door fully dressed for work, but still looking as though he were half asleep. With a yawn, he approached the couch his brother was sitting on, exhaustively plopping into the seat next to Mako, glancing down at the plate of toast that had just been slid his way. “I made a few extra pieces for you. You should probably put _something_ in your stomach before we go.” The detective advised. Didn’t sound like a bad idea to him. “Long night?” Mako asked.

“Yeah, something like that. Oh, but it was great though!” Bolin replied, quickly correcting his tone with his second statement. He didn’t wanna go giving off the wrong impression, now. “You woke me up just in time, I somehow managed to get there literally _right_ as it turned 9. I almost thought I wasn’t going to make it.” He explained.

“Don’t thank me, thank your snoring. It was starting to get obnoxious.” Mako joked. “So you and Opal have been doing pretty well again, huh?”

“Yeah, we’ve been slowly trying to patch things up and get back to the way things were before since the wedding. I really screwed up for a while there. I just wanted to help people so much that I couldn’t see what Kuvira was actually doing, even though Opal kept trying to warn me. And then it was too late. Honestly, she’s a big part of the reason why I wanted to join the police, like you. I mean, yeah, I want to help people, definitely, but I also want to show her that I _can_ , too, you know? I want to show her that I’m not just some easily led idiot, that I actually know what I’m doing.” Mako gave Bolin a concerned look. So that was it, huh? An idealist with a cause, trying to prove himself to the girl he loved. It wasn’t all that often he heard his brother talk so candidly about this sort of stuff, it must’ve really been weighing heavy on his mind lately.

“Well, you’re definitely not an idiot. You’re a little eccentric, sure, but so’s Varrick, and he’s one of the single most successful men in the world. Just, you actually have a moral compass.” That was the important part. Though, Varrick had been changing lately – a fact Bolin consistently defended.

“Ah, Varrick’s not so bad. He’s made some mistakes in the past, but he’s been changing a lot lately, ever since he saw what Kuvira was doing with his technology. He’s a different man, Mako. You should give him another chance.” The younger brother pleaded.

“Eh, maybe you’re right. He _has_ been working pretty hard to help out with the city lately, but I can’t help but feel like there’s some sort of ulterior motive at play whenever it comes to that guy, you know? Time will tell, I guess.” Mako shrugged.

“Yeah. Anyway, did you make any headway on the case after I ran out on you last night? I really wanted to help, but you know.” Bolin awkwardly inquired, sticking another piece of toast in his mouth.

“Yeah, victim’s Two-Faced Kazuo, an enforcer for the Triple Threats. A pretty high-ranking one, too. The mark you noticed on his face turned out to be a distorted hand print, but Dr. Lou isn’t sure what caused it exactly, it doesn’t seem to be consistent with a burn or anything that bending could’ve left.” Mako explained. Then again, he was almost certain that their killer wasn’t human by this point.

“…Wow. Somebody offed a Triple Threat enforcer right smack dab in the middle of their own territory? We might not have to catch this guy after all, I’m sure they’ll probably get to them before we ever do.” Bolin half-joked, though the expression on his face became immediately more serious when he saw the look on Mako’s own. “…What’s wrong?”

“I dunno. Something about this case just feels… wrong. Looking at that body again last night… there was something else Dr. Lou mentioned, about his chi. He told me that Kazuo had only been dead a short time and that his body should still have some chi left in it as a result, but when he was using his bending to help guide the water through his body and rehydrate his flesh, he noticed that it was gone. All of it. Whoever killed him and whatever they did to do it not only drained away all of his blood and bodily fluids, it drained away all of his chi, as well. There is no bending that can do that. I’m starting to think… I’m starting to think maybe our killer isn’t even human. Maybe this is some sort of spirit attack.” Bolin just sat there in stunned silence for a moment. A spirit? Really? Man, Korra sure did pick a hell of a time to go on vacation.

“…Welp, it was nice knowing you, Mako. Lin’s going to kill you when she hears about this one.” Bolin warned in response, his tone being that of a joke but his words only half of one at best. Mako sighed again. Bolin was probably right, Beifong was _not_ going to be happy about this one.

“Well, whatever. The facts are the facts whether she likes them or not, and right now, they’re pointing towards something more than human being responsible for this. I’m sure she’ll come around. Thankfully, Korra and Asami are on their way back, they apparently showed up and radioed for a ship from the South Pole. They’re scheduled to be here by tomorrow, so with any luck, if this _does_ turn out to be a spirit thing, maybe I can try and get her on board with the investigation. It’d be a bit more than a police investigation then.” He explained, rising from his seat and walking over to the coat rack in the corner by the door, grabbing his police jacket off the hook and putting it on.

“They’re back!? Oh man, it’s been too long! I can’t wait!” Bolin clapped. Well, somebody sure seemed to be awake now. “Also, sorry bro, but trust me, Lin is NOT going to want to hear this. 10 yuans says she threatens to fire you.” He wagered. Seriously?

“Bull, you’re on.” Oh Mako. Poor, poor Mako. You just made yourself a deal with the devil.

***** *** *** *** *****

“You think my suspect is a _WHAT_?” See? What did Bolin say?

“A… a spirit, ma’am.” Mako repeated meekly, feeling as though he’d just swallowed a wood frog. Normally, this would be the part where Bolin would be giving Mako his best “I told you so” face, but quite frankly, a pissed off Beifong was as terrifying a concept to him as it was Mako. In fact, maybe even a little more. Yeah, definitely a little more. Okay, a lot more. He was about ready to wet himself over there. “…I know it’s a bit of an unorthodox theory, but if you read Dr. Lou’s report, I just can’t see a human as being able to do this to somebody. I mean, ripping out all of his bodily fluids is one thing, but his chi, too? The only thing I can think of that might be able to do that would be a spirit.” He tentatively explained.

“Well Aang sure had no problem bending other people’s chi and energy. As I recall, he used that ability to take away people’s bending. And Korra used the same thing on me to give me mine back after Amon took it away with that Bloodbending bullcrap of his.” Lin stubbornly replied. An angry spirit murdering people in her city was the _last_ thing she needed right now. The Avatar was on vacation, crime was through the roof, the Triads were taking more territory than ever before and she had a dozen politicians and President Raiko himself on her back to do something about it. Human criminals? Those she could deal with. Spirit ones? That was where she drew the line.

“Yes, well, Aang and Korra are Avatars, Chief, and they aren’t exactly human, either. Not completely, anyway. Nobody else has ever demonstrated that kind of ability, and it might not be too much to assume that they can only do it because of Raava’s influence.” Mako responded. Well, he had a point. Then again, Amon HAD demonstrated that there were other ways to mess with a person’s chi… though, cutting off pathways with Bloodbending wasn’t exactly the same thing as outright removing the stuff. Maybe Mako was right. But if he was, it was a very, very bad kind of right. Bad for the city _and_ bad for her.

“I think Mako might actually be on to something, Li-er, Chief Beifong.” Bolin interjected, coming to his brother’s defense. “Normally, Dragon Flats is crawling with spirits, it has been ever since the North and South Spirit Portals were opened, but when we were down there yesterday, I couldn’t see any. Anywhere. It was almost as if something had scared them all away. I don’t think there’s anybody who could do that other than the Avatar, but an especially angry and violent spirit might do the trick.” Another good point, which was simultaneously also very bad. Lin did not like the way that this was going.

“Let’s say you’re right. Let’s say we have some psycho spirit going on a killing spree in Republic City. Just what exactly do you propose we do about that? Hm? Throw it in prison? Shove it through the Spirit Portal? It’s a spirit, it’ll get out of anything we put it in and our bending isn’t exactly the most effective thing against those things.” …Spree?

“…Spree? There’s been another death?” Mako asked. Lin simply slid a paper across her desk, the same one Mako had looked at briefly before making his way down to the precinct. …Oh. He’d just assumed that was about the body they’d found yesterday. Another one had popped up in the same area? Well, it seemed to have a preferred hunting ground. Lin sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she kept her other hand to her hip. She was clearly stressed.

“Look, the Avatar’s coming back tomorrow. I want you to bring her in on this investigation as soon as that ship of hers reaches shore, capiche? If you’re right about this, then I don’t think my benders are going to be of much use to you. But I’m not just going to sit on my ass all night, either. I’m going to be increasing patrols in Dragon Flats by 100% tonight on the off chance that this _isn’t_ a spirit. You two just make sure you come back with the Avatar tomorrow and we’ll put together a plan to track this thing down and stop it once and for all, before it kills again. You two are dismissed.” Mako and Bolin both breathed a sigh of relief. That definitely could’ve gone worse.

“Oh, and Bolin,” Right as he turned to walk away, Bolin almost felt as though he’d had a heart attack hearing his name called. WELP. “…Good work yesterday. I’m impressed. Dr. Lou made sure to credit you for that hand print discovery in his report, and I read in Mako’s how you managed to calm down the witness and made that Lightningbending connection. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders. Don’t be afraid to use it more often.” …Uh?

“…Uh… thanks, Chief…” Well. That just happened. Giving an assured nod, Lin then sent the two of them on their way, the brothers walking out the frosted glass door and closing it behind them, just standing there for a moment. “…Did she just…?” Bolin asked.

“I told you, bro. You’ve just got to have a little bit more faith in yourself.” Mako replied with a smile. Admittedly, he supposed he did, as well. If there was anything these last two days had begun to show him, it was that maybe he was underestimating his little brother in ways he shouldn’t have been. If there was one thing Bolin was always good at, it was rising to the occasion when it mattered most, and it seemed that this new job of his was no different.

“Yeah… I guess so.” He replied, smiling confidently. “…Now, about that 10 yuans…”

***** *** *** *** *****

As the sun began to set in the sky, Korra stood atop the deck of the Future Industries ship she and her new fiancee were heading home on, smiling as she watched spirits and fish alike skip across the water’s surface around them. Closing her eyes, she was sure to take it all in – the feel of the cool ocean breeze on her skin, the sound of waves sloshing against the sides of the ship, the scent of that salty ocean air… if there was one thing she’d missed during all her time in the Spirit World, it was serene ocean sunsets like this one. The last time she’d seen one of these, she was also sailing back to Republic City from the South Pole, but under an entirely different set of circumstances.

Back then, she was alone, albeit of her own accord. She thought that that was what she needed. She thought a lot of things back then. She thought she was ready to return to the city, too, but she still wasn’t 100% at the time, and unbeknownst to her, traces of the Red Lotus’ metallic poison were still wreaking havoc on her system. Back then, she couldn’t wait to get back to Asami, and Mako, and Bolin, and everybody, but in the end, things didn’t exactly go as planned. She still had some healing and some soul searching left to do, and ultimately it’d end up being another 6 months before she finally felt ready and able to return to the ones she loved.

But things were different now.

Now her health was long since returned to her, the world was finally at peace, balance had been restored between the two worlds, and she wasn’t so alone, anymore. Not only did she have all her friends and the Airbenders patiently waiting for her return back in Republic City, but now she had Asami, too, and as more than just a friend. More than even a girlfriend. “Fiancee, huh…” She thought aloud, opening her eyes to catch the moment where the sea almost seemed to cleave the sun’s disc in two. “We’ve come a long way, haven’t we, Naga?” She asked, causing the large polar bear dog that was curled up behind her to raise an ear in response. “To think, not even a year ago I was wondering if I’d ever be the Avatar I used to be, and now…”

Korra sighed contentedly. Things could change so much in such a short amount of time that it was mind boggling. And for once, it was change that she actually wanted.

“I thought I’d find you up here.” Korra’s eyes widened slightly as another voice broke her train of thought.

“Hey, Asami.” She greeted, turning around to give the young CEO a small ‘hello’ peck on the lips. “Something up?”

“Nah, I was just wondering where you’d run off to. The captain says we should be reaching Republic City by tomorrow afternoon.” She explained, taking a spot next to her new fiancee so that she could enjoy the sunset right alongside her, the two of them leaning comfortably against the ship’s railing.

“That soon, huh? I kind of wish you’d called for a slower ship.” The Avatar half-joked, prompting a giggle out of the dark-haired woman to her right. So, this was their last night technically on vacation, huh? She supposed she’d better try and make the most of it. “I was just thinking of the last time I saw a sunset like this. I still wasn’t in the best place back then, but I was trying. I wanted nothing more than for things to just be normal again, to be back with you and everybody else. I came so close, but… in the end, I ran away. I guess it’s a good thing that I did, though. If I hadn’t, I probably never would’ve met Toph, or gotten the last of the poison removed, or anything. It’s funny how things work out sometimes, huh? What seems so horrible at the time can sometimes seem so important in retrospect, a stepping stone to something even bigger and better than what you had before.” Korra thought aloud, Asami listening intently to every word.

“Almost sounds like something Iroh would say.” She remarked, prompting Korra to be the one to giggle, this time.

“Yeah, I guess he kind of rubs off on you after a while. I’ve gotta say though, that look on his face when you actually beat him at Pai Sho was priceless.” This time, both of them laughed, Korra resting her head on Asami’s shoulder immediately afterward, hanging on to her fiancee’s left arm. “Everything’s changing so much lately, but for once, I couldn’t be more excited. Tomorrow’s going to be a great day, I can feel it in my bones.” Asami smiled.

“Yeah. Me too.” As the sun disappeared below the horizon, Asami turned, kissing Korra’s head before the two of them broke away as the sky grew ever-darker, stars overtaking whatever traces of sunlight still remained. “So. We’ve still got a night and a morning to ourselves before we’re back in the city and our vacation is officially over. Wanna head back below deck and see if we can’t make the most of it?” She asked, eyebrows raised, eliciting a knowing and mischievous grin from the Water Tribe girl in response.

“Girl, you just read my mind. Bet I can make it back downstairs before you can.” She wagered, the same smile that was on her face making it’s way over to Asami’s.

“Oh, you are _so_ on.” Asami confidently replied, the two girls breaking off into a sprint for the stairway down below.

***** *** *** *** *****

Somewhere in the ocean, several dozen kilometers off the shore of Republic City…

A familiar wooden prison housing a particularly powerful prisoner of interest bustled with an unusual amount of activity from the guards currently stationed there, the radio to which they were listening relaying the latest news from the independent city-state. “Did you hear that story about those murders? Man, that’s just freaky… there’s some pretty terrifying benders out there, huh?” One of the guards began, both appalled and amazed at the creativity of criminals these days.

“Eh, who says it’s even a bender? Sure have been a lot of spirits lately, especially since our guest over there opened up that new Portal in the Downtown area. Maybe one of them did it.” A female guard spoke up.

“A spirit? Heh, they must be pretty angry to be lashing out like that. Maybe they’re pissed about that giant Spirit Weapon that blew up half the city. Quite frankly, _I’m_ still pissed about that one.” Another replied, the group of three laughing while their prisoner simply sat quietly in her wooden cage, her eyes closed in the crescent moon’s light.

How long had she been here now while her trial continued to drag on and on? Weeks? Months? She’d stopped paying attention a while ago. She knew what the verdict what her crimes would be. She was a very particular kind of “villain”, the kind of which examples were made. She had a whole nation – or former nation, as it were – calling for her head, and she knew that Raiko and the other world leaders were going to let them have it. After everything she’d done, it was the only logical conclusion. She knew her life was forfeit the moment she surrendered, but in that moment, she also knew that all that time, she had been in the wrong. She knew what she had done, and for that reason, she felt no injustice in her impending doom.

The two guards immediately in front of her little box, meanwhile, were talking about an entirely different news story, one that the three in the break room in front of her had overlooked. This one actually managed to catch her attention. “Did you hear the announcement, though? The Avatar’s finally back. Apparently she was on a vacation in the Spirit World with a friend these past two months.” Kuvira’s eyes half opened. Korra was back? Had it really been two months now?

“Really? So that’s where she’d run off to? Good for her. She needed a break after everything she just had to go through. Kuvira really put her through the wringer, huh?” The second guard replied.

“Yeah. I think they said something about her wanting to weigh in on her trial? Well, whatever. I think this one’s about as good as dead, at this point… won’t have to be standing out here for too much longer.” The first one concluded with a laugh. Meanwhile, the dark-haired former ruler of the briefly lived Earth Empire smiled weakly to herself. So Korra was involving herself in her trial now?

Well, well, well… seemed as though things might be getting a little bit more interesting, after all.


	3. Welcome Back to Republic City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having finally arrived back in Republic City, Korra and Asami struggle to settle back in, reacquainting themselves with friends both old and new as they prepare for whatever new struggles may be awaiting them. While Asami takes back her position as head of Future Industries, Korra makes a bee line for Air Temple Island, preparing for her move into her new fiancee's mansion.
> 
> Elsewhere, Mako and Bolin remain convinced that the suspect in their ongoing case is an evil spirit and struggle to decide whether or not they should bring Korra into the loop now or give her a day or two more to settle back in. Meanwhile, Varrick continues down his list, inviting old friends and city officials to the upcoming mover premiere.

# Book Five  
Chi  
  
Chapter Three  
Welcome Back to Republic City

“You know, somehow, I didn’t expect there to be so many people. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

And just like that, any hopes that she may have had of a nice, quiet return to Republic City with her new fiancee were immediately dashed with one quick look toward the city’s Western Harbor, a crowd of almost 500 gathered near the pier already, anxiously awaiting the Avatar’s and Asami’s return. Standing next to Naga and Asami atop the deck of their ship, Korra couldn’t help but groan. She could already hear their cheering from here. Was her return really that big of a deal? Were people really this excited to have their Avatar back? Or was there something else going on that she didn’t know about? Hopefully it was the former. Adoring fans were one thing, but the world could wait a few days before it made another mess for her to clean up.

Given how many had gathered, she imagined the press were probably at the front of the crowd, ready to assault her with a dozen questions she had no intention of answering, now or ever. They were the _last_ people she wanted to deal with right now. She was really hoping she could maybe take a day or two to settle back into things and then call for a press conference after she’d finished weighing in on Kuvira’s trial, but nope. Leave it to the press to ruin everything and make it more annoying than it had to be. Korra was beginning to remember just how stressful her job actually was, she’d gotten too used to just kicking back in the Spirit World with Asami.

Oh God, they were probably going to be asking about that, weren’t they? Her and Asami disappearing into the Spirit World together like that? How many rumors had cropped up since they’d left? That was going to be awkward to address. I mean, Korra’s parents were one thing, as would be Mako and Bolin, but now the whole city was going to be talking about the two of them. I mean, it was inevitable regardless – no matter what she did, people were going to be finding out about their relationship eventually – but still, she’d literally JUST gotten back from vacation and proposed to the girl, it could wait a little while. She wanted to settle back in and enjoy this, not turn it into the next big news story.

“Wow. I guess news of me contacting my company got out pretty quick, huh? Somehow, I’m not surprised.” Asami sighed. She was kind of looking forward to a peaceful return as well, but she’d had enough run-ins with the press during her tenure as CEO of Future Industries to know better.

As the Avatar, Korra generally knew better as well – the press had been especially critical of her in the past – but she was a bit more optimistic about things this time around, considering there were no major issues she had to deal with anymore and thus no real need for her to have to play savior of the world and stand as a flawless being that could do no wrong. But, apparently that didn’t matter. She’d been gone a long time and they had a lot of questions to ask and gossip columns to fill, and her status made her the perfect target – and Asami was no different.

Oh God, Asami… she was probably going to be getting the worst of it, most of the questions directed at her probably being rather critical of her decision to run off with the Avatar instead of staying behind and helping to rebuild the city. Forget the fact the girl had just lost her father and watched the city she helped build get leveled in a day by a giant mecha suit, she had to stay back and surrender her sanity for the sake of the United Republic! Just thinking about it made Korra angry. Maybe she was assuming too much, but Korra had learned enough from how they’d treated all of her past mistakes and questionable decisions to know better than to trust those bastards’ intentions.

Asami, of course, had picked up on her partner’s unease almost immediately, placing her hand on the clearly disgruntled Korra’s shoulder and giving her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it, I know how to handle the press. We don’t have to answer anything we don’t want to. Anything else, just let them talk. They’d probably be right, anyway.” She alluded, causing Korra’s cheeks to almost immediately become flushed. Hardly!

“Yeah, well, whether they are or not, the last thing I want is the press snooping around our personal lives.” Korra somewhat awkwardly replied, defending her position. “Oh well. If it comes to that, then I guess I’ll just have to get a little rough with them and help them see it my way, set some more clearly defined boundaries.” She concluded with a self-assured grin, pounding her fist into her hand as a euphemism for beating the ever-loving crap out of whoever tried to get in their way.

“My hero.” Asami jokingly swooned. Normally, she’d advise her fiancee _against_ taking such violent actions against the press, but she couldn’t say she entirely disagreed with her position this time around. She felt bad for the first paparazzi to try and sneak into the Sato Estate after Korra moved in. They were probably gonna be learning the true meaning of the word fear shortly thereafter, and how to walk again shortly after that. Brutally enforced privacy: Just one of the many benefits of having the Avatar for a partner.

But, Asami was right. Korra had no idea what she was thinking – she could handle anything these guys could dish out, especially now! Where dread and anger once painted her face, there was now only pure, unbridled confidence. Now THIS was the Avatar she used to be. The tension of the situation successfully diffused, as their ship finally pulled into the harbor and up to the crowded pier, she felt like she was ready for anything. As the cheering crowd grew louder and louder, it just seemed to pump her up more and more, the smile on her face growing wider as Asami hung onto her, wrapping her arms around her waist for support as Naga stepped down onto the ramp with the two girls now sitting on her back, the three of them deboarding the ship together.

The clicks and whines of shutters and flashbulbs filled the air as cameras went off all around them, capturing the two girls and their polar bear dog’s slow descent down the ramp and walk down the pier as Korra waved, a genuine smile on hers and her fiancee’s face. Unsurprisingly, the gathered news reporters at and near the front row were already asking questions and pressing for comments, even while Korra and Asami were still a good hundred fifty or so feet from the crowd whose cheers at that distance were drowning out most of whatever it was they were trying to ask. Those guys really were relentless, weren’t they? Both of them, the press and the crowd. She honestly wasn’t sure which party was more excited to see her and her traveling companion back in Republic City right now.

As much as Korra may have wished she could’ve had a nice quiet walk back into town, she had to admit that she was still rather flattered to see so many people out here welcoming her back. She wasn’t sure she’d ever really get used to receiving this sort of treatment from people, not completely. Not that she disliked it – she loved it! It was a great confidence booster. It was just that sometimes she kind of forgot how much people actually looked up to and respected her, especially given her track record with public approval in the past. She supposed that taking down Kuvira and that Colossus of hers had earned her a lot of good will over these past couple of months, regardless of how well she had or hadn’t been able to protect the city in the process. Given what she was thrown up against, nobody could really blame her – all of that was placed squarely upon Kuvira herself.

As they drew ever closer, it’d become clear that the city had prepared for their arrival in advance, a path roughly the width of the pier being carved into the crowd by velvet ropes, effectively cleaving it into two with four Metalbending Officers stationed at both ends – two by the docks and two by the end of the crowd, helping out with crowd control and ensuring the Avatar’s and the CEO’s safety. Furthermore, they could see that a stage and a podium had already been set up beforehand at the end of the path that’d been prepared for them, as though they were fully expecting a press conference out of the two of them regardless of whether they had specifically called for one or not. It seemed as though the city was pulling out all of the stops today and making this as real of an event as possible.

But that wasn’t all – there was already somebody else standing right there in the middle of the path, another two Metalbending Officers standing at attention by their side, waiting for the two of them to arrive. And, once Korra recognized who they were, suddenly, everything made sense. Bringing Naga to a stop in front of them, Korra’s smile and tone became somewhat more awkward as she addressed the one most likely behind this little stunt today.

“Oh, President Raiko, I didn’t expect to see you here… or this crowd, for that matter. Was this all your idea?” She asked, trying not to sound too displeased or accusatory. She may not have been as frustrated by the thought of a far less private return than she’d initially planned as she was back on the ship, but she was still somewhat lamenting what could have been.

“Avatar Korra, Ms. Sato, it’s good to have you two back in Republic City. I hope I wasn’t being too presumptuous here, I figured that the two of you would like to get a press conference going right away and formally announce your return.” The President opened with a smile, his hands folded behind his back as cameras continued to go off all around them, capturing the meeting between three of Republic City’s top individuals. Sensing their confusion, however, Raiko went on to elaborate a bit further, hoping that a little bit more context might help clear things up and explain his position.

“To be perfectly honest with you two, things have been fairly unstable in Republic City lately, so as soon as the news got leaked about you two returning this afternoon, people immediately began to talk. Between the after effects of Kuvira’s attack, the rebuilding of the city, the mounting threat of the Triads and all the other crazy stuff going on these days, the people could really use a little pomp and circumstance right about now. And what better to help breathe a little hope back into the populace than the return of their Avatar and the head of the company that has helped shape their city more than any other?” Well, taken in that context, things began to make a bit more sense.

Korra and Asami turned to each other and gave the other a somewhat concerned look. They supposed he had a point. If things actually were that bad, then maybe their return really was a pretty big deal. To be perfectly honest, neither of them had really thought of it like that before. Maybe things were in a worse off state than they’d initially assumed. “Well, I guess you’re right.” Korra conceded, turning back to the elected leader of the United Republic. “I didn’t know things were so unstable right now, I was kind of hoping that with Kuvira out of the picture you guys would be able to handle the rest.” She explained.

“Well, we’re managing, I suppose, but recovery will take time.” The President replied. “In the meantime, however, a proper welcome back celebration and quick round of Q&A with the press is sure to help boost morale.” Korra nodded. President Raiko then smiled and turned around, walking on ahead of them and leading Naga and the girls the rest of the way down the pier and through the crowd, the three young ladies stopping to the right side of the platform stage as Raiko took to the podium first to get things started, tapping the microphone in the center, making sure that it was on and everything was in order.

“Ladies and gentlemen of Republic City, I am pleased to announce that the head of Future Industries, Ms. Asami Sato, and our Avatar, Korra, have officially returned!” Raiko introduced, the crowd gathered around them immediately going into even more of a frenzy than they were before, their cheering growing ever louder as the two ladies waved from atop Naga’s back, still standing to the side of the stage while the President spoke. “It has been a long and trying two months since the two of them left for an admittedly well deserved vacation, but now they are back to help guide our fair city to ever-greater heights! Today is a day of celebration for both what these two remarkable women have done to help protect our city from Kuvira’s wrath, and for their safe return to our nation’s sparkling cerulean shores. But, you’re not here to listen to me today. Without any further ado…”

As the crowd openly celebrated their return, the two girls finally got down from off of Naga’s back, Korra hopping down first, scratching her pet behind her ears and eliciting a rather pleased look from the large polar bear dog, her tail wagging as Korra smiled. She then raised her right arm in order to help Asami down next, gently taking hold of her hand as she hopped down and followed her partner onto the stage. After a brief discussion, it was decided between the two of them that Korra would be the one to take to the podium first, shaking the hand of the President as he stepped aside and Korra took his place. As he took a position standing to her right, Asami kept close to her new fiancee’s left, the young Avatar taking a deep breath and readjusting herself to talking to such a large crowd.

“Heh, and here I was hoping for a more discreet return, I can’t say I was really expecting to be holding a press conference today. But it’s good to be back in Republic City – it’s been far too long. Let’s get this show on the road!” She opened, once again pounding her fist into her hand as a show of confidence, not that her self-assured grin didn’t already make it rather clear. Unsurprisingly, the press was quick to oblige, immediately firing off a steady stream of questions in her direction.

“Avatar Korra! Is it true that you’ve spent the last two months in the Spirit World?”

“Is it true that you’ll be taking part in Kuvira’s trial?”

“Do you have any plans to help out with the reconstruction of Republic City?”

“Are you going to be doing anything about the recent rise in Triad activity?”

“Why did you choose to disembark with Future Industries’ Ms. Sato alone? Are the rumors true that you two have become more than ‘just friends’?”

Wow, that last one sure was to the point, prompting the President to raise an eyebrow as he glanced over at the two of them. Could they…? Nah. Unsurprisingly however, the local papers had already long since been circulating rumors about the exact relationship of the two girls, ever since it was found out that she and Asami had set out alone – just the two of them. Well then. Korra would get to that one when she got to it. Right now, the other four seemed much more important. More questions kept flooding in, but most of them were simply variations on those five and the rest weren’t even worth acknowledging – she’d already made up her mind as to what she’d be willing to answer and how she was going to answer it right before she’d stepped off that boat.

“Well, to begin, yes, I _will_ be taking part in Kuvira’s trial. I’ve been giving it some thought lately, and there are a few things I would like to say and propose that I’ll be announcing at a later date. And yes, I also plan to help out with the reconstruction of the city provided I don’t have anything else to take care of, maybe help speed things along a little bit while I still have the chance. As for the Triads, I’m not sure – I haven’t exactly been tuned in to the times from the Spirit World, so this is honestly the first I’m hearing of it. But, I will be happy to help the police in any way I can and try and help bring things under control if asked.” Korra opened, addressing what she deemed to be the most pertinent questions first and foremost. She figured a lot of people probably wanted to know where she’d been these last few months for sure, but since that kind of tied in with the last question, she figured that she’d save it for last as well.

“As for where I’ve been these past couple of months, yes, I have been vacationing in the Spirit World. After everything that’s happened to me these past three years, I felt like I just really needed a break, and Asami was feeling the same way. So, the two of us decided to just go for it while we had the chance and snuck away after letting a couple of people know where we were going. I told my parents and Tenzin, so that he could relay the news to you guys, while Asami told her next-in-command at Future Industries so that he could take over for a while in her stead. But I think I’ll let her explain that for herself.” She concluded, not wanting to go into things much more than that in fear of completely derailing the event with the confirmation or denial of completely true rumors of romance. The moment that either of them addressed that would be the moment that it became all that this thing would be about.

Stepping away from the podium regardless of whether or not any follow up questions were asked of her, Korra then let her new fiancee take over, a fresh array of questions being asked as the gathered press took note of the change in speaker.

“Ms. Sato! Will Ravi be maintaining control of Future Industries for the remainder of the city expansion and reconstruction plan?”

“Is it true that Varrick Global Industries and Future Industries are in talks to merge again?”

“Will you be overseeing the creation of a new city park, or will you be restoring Avatar Korra Park, now located near the new Spirit Portal?”

“Do you have any plans to move forward with Spirit Energy technology?”

“Why did you leave Republic City when it was most in need of your company’s help?”

That last question made Korra wince. She was afraid that somebody was going to ask something like that, but the smile on Asami’s face never wavered, not even for a second. Apparently, she had fully expected it. Like she’d said before, she knew how to handle the press. She’d done quite a bit of that back when she was helping to renovate the city the first time, building around the Spirit Vines and incorporating them into the city as opposed to outright removing them, so she had a pretty good idea of what to expect. Their past treatment of Korra had acted as a pretty good indicator, as well.

“What’s important is that Future Industries never left Republic City and continued to help it expand and rebuild, regardless of whether or not I was here to personally direct that. While I went and took a well-deserved vacation with my friend, I was sure to put my best man in charge in order to hold down the fort and carry on mine and my company’s vision in my stead, ensuring that our philosophy of harmoniously blending nature with technology was applied to everything that we did. But no, Ravi will not be maintaining control of Future Industries and I will be taking back full control by the end of the week – much to his relief, I’m sure.” She replied, laughing slightly with her last remark. He always did prefer the role of worker to leader, even if he was rather good at both.

“With all that being said, I can assure you that no, there will not be any merging with Varrick Global Industries, nor will we be looking into Spirit Energy technology anytime soon. I think after Kuvira’s misappropriation of Spirit Energy showing us the potential dangers of its misuse and weaponization, it may be a better idea to leave the power of the spirits to the spirits. However, I would be delighted to help design a new city park _and_ to see Avatar Korra Park returned to its former glory. I’m sure that it’ll make for a wonderful place to observe the Spirit Portal in the future.” And that took care of that. Or, it would have, if it weren’t for one particularly observant reporter near the front launching the question that brought pretty much everything else to a screeching halt just as soon as Asami had finished.

“Is that a Water Tribe betrothal necklace around your neck?” Well. Crap.

“Uh…” The previously professional and composed Asami simply stood there, blindsided by the completely correct insinuation of the question being directed at her, prompting yet another raised eyebrow from the President and a completely petrified look from her fiancee. She’d expected one or two questions about the nature of hers and Korra’s relationship after two months of being alone together, but that was a bit more direct of a question than she’d prepared herself to answer. She actually had no response for that one. In retrospect, she probably should’ve thought to take that thing off before she got off the ship. “…Um…” Yeah, this certainly could’ve gone better. Looked like Korra would have to be the one to think of something now, and quick.

“No comment. Anyway, we actually have some _really_ important stuff we need to go do right now, so yeah, it was nice seeing everybody out here but we’ve really gotta go! Asami, come on!” Korra leaned in and hurriedly interrupted, taking Asami by the arm and swiftly pulling the green-eyed girl with her off the stage as she ran away, clearly trying to draw things to a close as quickly as possible. This probably didn’t look much better than directly answering the question, but she also knew that if she didn’t leave now, they’d _never_ let her go, not with a story like that to sink their teeth into – and she and Asami really did have things they needed to be doing right now. There was no time to waste, they had to go _now_!

Hopping back up onto Naga’s back with the engineer in tow, with a light kick, the urgency of the situation was relayed to the polar bear dog and she and her riders dashed off into the streets beyond the stage as the crowd behind them went into an uproar over the implications, the President kind of just standing there in shock, momentarily reaching out to stop them before stopping himself and actually thinking about what the hell had just happened. Shaking his head, he turned his attention to the crowd and returned to the podium. Seemed as though it fell on him to draw things to a more, uh, ‘formal’ close. How do you even recover from something like that…?

Meanwhile, all that Korra and Asami could do was laugh at the absurdity of the situation as they galloped away through the city streets on Naga’s back, catching the eye of many a confused onlooker as they ran like their lives depended on it while laughing up a storm. It was bad enough that they were completely blindsided like that, but the way that Korra had responded to it was effing _priceless_. That was absolutely terrible in the best, most hilarious way imaginable to both of them. “Well, that certainly could’ve gone better.” Korra struggled to get out between their laughter, almost doubled over on Naga’s back, Asami once again hanging on to her waist for support whilst caught in a similar position.

“You think?” Asami replied, tears forming in her eyes as she laughed so hard it actually started to hurt. “I guess that answers that then, huh?” She rhetorically inquired. Yeeeeah, so much for not addressing _that_ , huh?

“Man, they sure are gonna to have a field day with this one.” Korra continued, wiping her eyes dry as her laughter finally began to subside. “Ah well, at least we don’t have to go out and awkwardly confirm it now, or surprise them all with some random-ass wedding.” She joked.

“Tell me about it, I was actually wondering how or if we were going to put this out there, or if we were just let them figure it out for themselves. But this. This was better than anything I could’ve imagined. I freaking _love_ you.” Korra may have been able to control her laughing a bit more, but Asami was still going strong. This whole thing was simply incredible to her. Finally, after another good 30 seconds of laughter, she began calming down, at least for the most part, letting out a contented sigh and just limply laying her body onto Korra’s as she continued to hang onto her, smiling. By far, that was the best press conference she’d ever had the honor of taking part in.

“So, considering Naga and I are your drivers right now… where to next, Ms. Sato?” Korra asked, a knowing grin on her face. Asami couldn’t help but laugh just a little bit more at that one, wiping the last of the tears from her eyes as she responded.

“I guess now we go take care of what we said we were going to take care of. Just take me to the new Northern District, my people told me that the new Future Industries Tower was relocated there when I asked about it the other night. While I get settled in and check up on things there, you can go see Tenzin and collect your things from Air Temple Island. Might as well tell him about us, as well, since he’s just going to be finding out about it one way or another now anyway.” Asami chuckled. Korra just shook her head. She couldn’t believe she’d actually just done that; tomorrow’s paper was certainly going to be an interesting one.

“Of course, Ms. Sato, as you wish.” She replied, directing Naga where to go and charging full speed ahead in the specified direction. Next stop: Future Industries Tower!

***** *** *** *** *****

“Aw man, I can’t believe this. Korra and Asami _finally_ come back to Republic City, and instead of going out and welcoming them home, Lin has us stuck in an office all day? Why couldn’t she send _us_ to the harbor to handle security?” Bolin complained, a mixed look of boredom and frustration slumped across his face as he leaned with his elbow on the side of Mako’s desk opposite his brother’s, resting his head in one hand as he toyed with a pencil with the other.

“Because we’re detectives, Bolin, not elite Metalbending Officers specifically trained to secure and police major public events. Or at least, I am. I guess you’d be more of a detective-in-training.” Mako half-jokingly replied, going over the notes on their current case for the third time today and scribbling yet more into the file as ideas and connections flitted into his head. Everybody in the department had their job to do, and right now, theirs was to follow up on the second victim in the so-called “Mummy Maker” case and see if they couldn’t deduce its identity, just as they had with the first one.

Unfortunately, so far as they could tell, this one wasn’t a Lightningbending Triad enforcer, and this time, there were no witnesses to come forward, so they had nothing to go off of but the body, which seemed to be lacking any inconspicuous burns or identifying marks aside from the same distorted hand print it shared with Kazuo, centered on its face. Also like the last one, this body not only had all of its fluids drained, but all of its chi was missing, too, reducing the corpse to little more than an empty, shriveled up husk. Even with Dr. Lou’s rehydration procedure, the face wasn’t one that Mako immediately recognized, and without even knowing if they were a bender or not, it wasn’t looking good for tracking them down. The best they could do now was try and come up with a sketch based on the semi-revitalized face and distribute it around town, hoping somebody would come forward with some information.

“Yeah, a detective-in-training who got us almost every single lead on the case so far. Besides, didn’t she want us to loop Korra into the investigation, anyway? How are we supposed to do that from behind a boring-old desk?” Bolin reminded, no longer fiddling with the pencil from before, his eyes now completely focused on his brother.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, super cop.” Mako teased right back, putting down his pen and taking a break from all the note taking for now. He’d come at this every which way to Sunday, he really didn’t know what else to do at this point. He was already confident that their suspect wasn’t human, so he didn’t think there’d be anything more gleamed from in here. Maybe he’d swing by the crime scene again later on, see if he could find anything where the body was found that maybe the earlier detectives had missed.

For somebody who was so adamant about bringing Korra into things “as soon as she stepped off the boat”, he had to admit that he did find it a little odd that Lin wouldn’t make an exception and send them out there to meet Korra face-to-face like she’d originally wanted. Then again, he’d also heard that President Raiko himself had intervened and blown the whole event out of proportion, so maybe that had something to do with it. She probably expected that the two of them wouldn’t get the chance to talk to her so long as he was involved and turning the whole thing into some big publicity stunt for the city and decided to have them figure out anything they could about their second victim, instead. It made sense, he supposed.

“Anyway, I’m sure that Korra will be at Air Temple Island like she usually is, so don’t worry about it. We can go and see her when our shift is over and see if we can’t get her in the loop like the Chief asked us to then.” He stated simply. However, for Bolin, this left something of a bitter taste in his mouth. He didn’t really like the idea of dragging her right back into some big mess _right_ after she got back from vacation. He was always intending on trying to spend at least one day of fun with his friends before getting back down to business.

“I dunno, don’t you think we should let her off the hook for today? I mean, she just got back–” Once again, Mako cut his brother off, something he seemed to be doing a lot of lately. Then again, he also seemed to be pretty frustrated a lot lately, too.

“No. This thing has killed 2 people in 3 days and we have no idea when it’s going to strike again. If Korra isn’t ready to get back into things, then she shouldn’t be coming back at all.” Mako spat back. Ouch, that was kind of harsh. Yet again, Mako subconsciously grabbed his left arm, feeling that familiar burning, tingling sensation where his scar was again. He seemed to be feeling it a lot lately. Bolin’s look immediately shifted to one to concern, but before he could open his mouth say anything, he found his intentions interrupted by a rather unexpected visitor as Varrick lurched in through the doorway, immediately drawing the attention of the two bending brothers.

“Aha! Bolin! There you are! I’d almost given up looking for you! I figured I’d just go invite Lin next and then see if I couldn’t get back to you later, but lo and behold, you’re sitting here in the very station I helped build for her! What’s the matter, bailing your brother out of jail again?” Varrick asked, leaning in and semi-whispering into Bolin’s ear with his last remark, prompting an eyebrow twitch from the Firebender in question. Great, just what he needed. His arm felt like it was on fire.

“I’m right here, you know. In a police uniform. As a detective. _Working on a case_.” Mako reminded, not that Varrick seemed to be paying him any attention. Why was he not surprised? Well, there was no point engaging him and having an aneurysm, he appeared to be here for Bolin and the Chief alone. Might as well just leave him to it and think about how they were going to hunt whoever or whatever was doing this down.

“Oh, I actually work here now!” Bolin exuberantly replied, though perhaps not quite as exuberantly as Varrick seemed to act almost 24/7. What was he always so excited about, anyway? “My brother and I are partners now, and we’ve actually been working this really creepy case lately, it’s crazy. Anyway, what’s up?” He asked.

“No kidding? Good for you! I always knew you were destined for great things – Nuktuk was always just the beginning! Which is actually kind of why I’m here today! I’m sure you’ve heard about that Ryuuki Ayasusushi-or-whatever guy by now, right? As it happens, I’ve got some sweet VIP balcony seats for the premiere of that new mover of his, “The Dancing Dragons”, so I’ve been inviting all of Republic City’s toppest of top brass and some good friends to come along! And I _know_ how much you love movers.” The look on Bolin’s face was like that of a child experiencing Christmas for the first time, coming down in the morning to a glimmering tree with a dozen gifts carefully wrapped and waiting for them below. Did Varrick even have to ask?

“Are you kidding me? Of COURSE I’m in! Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been to a mover premiere!?” Oh, Mako knew this one!

“Since he got me arrested.” Oh. Right. Well, that was a little awkward.

“Bah! Bygones! I’m a changed man, and I’ve put the past behind me! Personally, I think you could stand to do the same, Mako. In fact, why don’t you come along too? I’ve also had it arranged so that Korra and Asami are invited as well. It can be just like old times!” What kind of “old times” was Varrick talking about exactly? While Mako remained suspicious, Bolin just grew even more excited.

“Ah, that’s a great idea! Come on Mako, what do you say!?” The young rookie asked.

“What? No, I hate movers, you know that. Why are you inviting me?” Varrick and Bolin gasped. Did he seriously just say that!?

“Mako, watch your language! We don’t talk that way about movers here, this is an H-word free zone!” His little brother shouted, prompting yet another facepalm from the Firebending detective – another thing he’d been doing a lot of lately. Why did everything in his life just constantly have to conspire to make him miserable?

“What’s with all this racket out here!?” Oh, great, now the Chief was involved, too. From out of nowhere, the door to Lin’s office swung open, a clearly pissed off chief of police stepping half way out of her office, standing in her doorway to hold her door open and looking around the room only to find that Varrick had invited himself in again. Wonderful, just what she needed right now. Since when did he willingly walk into offices of law enforcement, anyway?

“Lin, there you are! Perfect! I was _just_ about to come in and invite you, too! I’ve got some great seats for the premiere of “The Dancing Dragons” tomorrow night, and all of Republic City’s big shots are going to be there! You want in? You look like a hard working woman who could use break.” Flattery wasn’t going to get you anywhere, Varrick.

“Oh, that thing. I’m already going, though not to just sit on my ass and relax like you are. _Somebody’s_ got to handle security, and given how big this thing’s going to be, I’ve been assigned to handle it personally.” She explained.

“Oh, well that was easy! Sweet!” Varrick exclaimed. Victory? “Now all I have to do is hope Korra and Asami get my message and we can get this show on the road! Just consider it both a chance to relax _and_ a way to formally celebrate those two’s return and welcome them back to Republic City in style. VIP treatment, here we come!” He shouted, his left arm raised, index finger pointing to the heavens. Watching Varrick talk was like watching a cat on nip, it was as hilarious as it was completely unpredictable.

“Whatever.” Mako huffed. “You guys have fun, _I’m_ going to get some work done. I have a killer to catch.” Well, somebody sure had a one-track mind.

“Not so fast, Mako,” Lin interjected, catching the Firebender by surprise. “I could use a guy like you with me out there, you’ve got good eyes. Besides, that killer of yours still on the loose. Until this case is put to bed, I can use all the talented benders I can get my hands on to help make sure this place is locked down tight and our body count doesn’t end up dramatically increasing overnight.” Well, orders were orders. There really wasn’t any getting out of it now, was there?

“Fine! Whatever! I’ll go! Geez.” Mako complained. “It’s going to be held at the Pro Bending Arena, right? It’s been a while since I’ve been there, but I still know that place like the back of my hand. I’ll make sure we get everything covered.” He reassured, Lin giving a simple nod in reply. Sounded like a plan to her.

“Yes! Oh man, this is going to be the greatest night _ever_!” Bolin exclaimed, pulling the three of them – Mako, Lin and Varrick – into a rather uncomfortable group hug, Mako shoving the billionaire inventor off of him as he tried to wiggle his way out of it. Sometimes he couldn’t help but question his choice in company, especially over these last couple of months. Bolin had already picked up on it a little bit, but… something was seriously eating at his big bro, and it seemed like cracks were starting to show. But Mako wasn’t talking. All Bolin could do now was hope that maybe Korra and Asami’s return and a night out on the town – working or not – would help smooth things over and get him to relax a little bit.

***** *** *** *** *****

Meanwhile, on the Northern end of town, while Varrick pestered the police, Asami made her way down the halls of the new Future Industries Tower, visibly taken aback at just how nice her new corporate headquarters actually looked. Ravi really went all out with this place, didn’t he?

While it remained a reflection of the original in regards to its floor plan, ensuring that everything was more-or-less where she remembered it being at the old location, its overall design had been completely overhauled and modernized and made to look _much_ more pleasing to the eye. Metal sculptures now decorated the entrance lobby and the halls alongside an abundance of potted trees and hanging plants interspersed between, which when combined with the sculpted columns reminiscent of Spirit Vines and the lush, green ivy clutched to the sides of the 2nd floor balcony, made the place seem a dozen times more alive than the original building ever was.

The lobby and the halls were built out of granite, marble and sandstone and crystals acted as the primary means of illumination, which combined with all of the plant life gave the building a very natural look and feel. There was even a large fountain added outside and what looked to be four waterfalls on the inside, emptying into small pools in which a variety of small fish could be seen swimming, the water pouring down in front of sculpted murals somewhat abstractly depicting what looked to be spirits and machines. Even the air was crisp and fresh, as though she were standing outside in a wide open field or a dense, oxygen-rich forest. It looked less like the lobby of a factory or an office building and more like a work of art in its own right. Talk about putting your best face forward.

“Wow. Maybe I should let Ravi handle more of the city after all.” Asami thought aloud, marveling at her new place of business. Did the whole building look like this, or was it just the important bits that the public got to see, like the lobby and the halls? Knowing Ravi, he’d gone all out with the whole building, but either way, she could get used to working in a place like this. It was better than she ever could’ve imagined. Making her way to the central elevator and stepping through its large brass doors, she followed the directions that her employees had given her and pushed the button for the 42nd floor, which was currently the topmost completed floor of the building as well as the location of her new office, at least for now. She could always opt to move it to a lower or higher floor later on, but she wasn’t sure if she really wanted it to be much higher than that. It was a pretty long elevator ride last time around, one she could stand to do without.

Though the building was still incomplete and only about half of its intended height, she remained absolutely amazed at how much they’d actually managed to get done in such a short amount of time. They must’ve started work on this place literally the day after she’d left. Then again, when you have a veritable army of Earth and Metalbenders at your disposal by way of Republic City, Zaofu and volunteers from neighboring states, maybe it was to be expected. Which just made one wonder, if they’d gotten this much done in only a couple of months, and construction was planned to go on for another year and a half at least, just how much bigger was this new and improved Republic City actually going to be?

Then again, special emphasis was probably put on the construction of this tower, along with the new Police Station and City Hall that she’d heard about. They were some pretty major landmarks, after all, as well as the respective headquarters of three of the city’s most important driving forces, so maybe she just got lucky. Arriving at her specified floor more quickly than she’d expected, Asami noted that the new elevators were at least twice as fast as the old ones. Maybe having things rebuilt and updated wasn’t so bad after all. I mean, the place certainly looked nicer, felt nicer and now it was a lot quicker to navigate, too. She honestly had no complaints.

Entering into another granite and marble hall, Asami found the elevator letting out directly in front of the door to her new office, which currently bore the nameplate of her childhood friend and the interim Chief Executive Officer of the company, Ravi. Convenient placement. Walking forward, she opened the door and found herself in another, smaller lobby, her and Ravi’s receptionist, Wei, sitting at a desk to the right. “Oh, Ms. Sato, you’re here! Welcome back! Mr. Ravi has been expecting you.” He greeted, getting up from his desk and shaking the young woman’s hand. She smiled, greeting him in return, receiving the go ahead to enter Ravi’s office. She wanted to make sure he wasn’t in any meetings or anything before she walked in, just in case.

Walking through the door as permitted, the tall, dark-skinned man looked up from his papers and smiled the most genuine smile he’d been able to muster in days, immediately standing up from his desk and approaching his old friend, welcoming her back with a hug. “It’s good to have you back, Asami. This place hasn’t really been the same without you. I’ve been trying to keep everything on track, just like you asked. I hope you like your new tower.” He began as he broke away, walking over to a small counter against the right wall of the room in order to pour the two of them a fresh cup of tea.

“More than that, I love it. I’m assuming you designed it yourself?” She inquired, receiving a simple nod in response. She’d thought as much, this whole place had Ravi’s particular taste in art and architecture written all over it. A good thing, considering he was one hell of an artist and had a keen eye for design. One of his more understated talents, she supposed. “I saw a lot of the new buildings and construction areas on my way down here, as well as what’s been put together of the expanded Northern District so far. You sure seem to have been keeping busy.” The young businesswoman continued, thanking the redheaded man for the tea.

“As have you, from the looks of things. I like your new necklace.” He noted, taking a sip of his tea with a knowing grin that almost caused Asami to choke on hers. That was the second time today somebody had mentioned her betrothal necklace. Well, at least this time wasn’t so much awkward and unwanted as it was just unexpected. “I had a feeling there was a bit more to your vacation than just a little R&R. I’m happy for you.” He nodded, receiving a simple smile in return.

“Thank you. Nice as they’ve been, these past two months have been pretty crazy for me, too. Just, not in a stressful way. I do not envy your position and I absolutely dread reclaiming it.” She mock groaned, prompting the man to laugh.

“Sorry, but them’s the brakes – this was never meant to be permanent. Quite frankly, I can’t wait to get back out there and start building with the rest of your men, or to get back to working in and managing the factory. All in good time, I suppose.” Right, Asami _was_ sorry for sticking him behind a desk for so long like that. He was a great manager, but his heart was always that of a worker’s, ever since she’d first met him. He was strong, dedicated, always self-motivated. He preferred to go out and get things done with his own two hands than to sit back and give orders from afar. Though his primary job in the company was managing the main factory, like he’d mentioned, he was a very hands-on manager and spent the least possible amount of time in his office, something he couldn’t really afford to do as CEO. He’d probably been itching to get out from behind that desk for weeks now, it almost seemed cruel in retrospect.

“Right, I’m sorry about asking so much of you and keeping you up here these past two months. I really wasn’t planning to be gone as long as I was, but Korra and I kind of lost track of time.” Ravi laughed, trying not to think too hard about the circumstances surrounding this ‘lost time’ of theirs. But, so long as she got the break she needed, that was all that mattered.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s been an adjustment, but I think I’ve handled things well enough. Just, try not to make these 2 month vacations a habit in the future.” This time Asami laughed, still feeling a little guilty.

“Noted. Well, I’m ready to jump back behind the desk whenever. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.” She explained, her interim chief nodding in return.

“I took the liberty of taking notes on all of our major projects these last couple of months. Feel free to go over them if you’d like, they should help catch you up in no time.” How considerate. Seemed he’d been preparing for her return from the moment he took the reigns. Once again, she thanked her old friend.

“That should help a lot, thank you.” She said, taking another sip of tea as Ravi fell silent for a moment, going over things in his head and trying to remember if there was anything else he wanted to… oh, right!

“Oh, right, I almost forgot,” He spoke up, catching Asami’s attention. “Varrick visited me yesterday afternoon and invited me to the premiere of a new mover, “The Dancing Dragons”. When he heard that you and Korra were returning, he asked me to extend the invitation over to you two, as well, if you’re interested. I believe the premiere is tomorrow night?” Varrick? So he’d been helping to rebuild the city too, huh? Asami had kind of assumed that guy would still be on his honeymoon. Maybe her and Korra’s two month vacation was a bit more unusual she’d initially thought, no wonder people had been talking.

“Sure, a mover premiere sounds pretty great, actually. I’m sure Korra would love to come, too. I’m planning to meet her at Air Temple Island once I’ve settled back in here, so I’ll let her know when I see her.” She replied. She always did like movers. She wouldn’t say she was as big of a fan as, say, Bolin, but she definitely enjoyed seeing them whenever possible and had kept something of an eye on the industry since it started. Back when she was helping expand and renovate the city the first time, while Korra was still in the South Pole recuperating, attending mover premieres had become one of her favorite weekend activities. It was a great way to just let the stress melt away and lose yourself in something of another life for a little while, and it had helped her through some pretty rough days in the past. It was one of those leisurely activities she was looking forward to sharing with Korra in the future. If she wasn’t a mover fan already, Asami would make one out of her yet.

“Right. Well, if you need me, I’ll be up top with the rest of the workers helping to get this place finished. I’m pretty eager to see how my new Metalbending abilities measure up in practice.” Ravi mentioned, rising from his seat and placing his empty teacup back on the counter.

“Oh? You can Metalbend now? That’s great! I know you’ve always been interested in learning, but you never did find the time for it.” Ravi nodded. He’d always wanted to be a Metalbender – it was a fairly practical skill for an Earthbending factory worker to have, after all – but the timing just never seemed right. In the past, most of the Metalbenders in Republic City were cops, and the only place he knew of that freely taught the art to anybody who was interested was Zaofu, so he’d have had to travel quite some distance in order to pursue his dream. Having talented benders from Zaofu come to Republic City, instead, however, solved the problem and finally gave him the chance he’d been waiting for.

“One of the Metalbenders from Zaofu that’s been helping out around here volunteered to teach me. I think I’ve got a pretty decent grasp of it by now, but I won’t know for sure until I try.” Asami smiled, rising from her seat and momentarily placing her teacup on the table in order to give her friend a congratulatory hug.

“Congratulations, I’m really happy for you.” She smiled, the tall, redheaded man smiling back in return. “Anyway, I think I’ve kept you here long enough, I know you’re dying to get back out there. Good luck.” Ravi nodded, turning around and loosely raising his right arm as if he were about to wave goodbye as he walked toward the door.

“Ditto.” He replied simply, exiting the room and making his way to the construction zones on floors above.

Now alone in her new office, Asami finished her tea, placing the empty cup back onto the counter alongside Ravi’s and walking over to the large window set into the wall behind her desk, briefly overlooking the city below. She’d missed this place a lot more than she’d thought. Soaking in the sight of the city unfurled beneath her tower, she felt as though she were on top of the world, as though she could do anything.

Turning back to her new desk, she took a seat and looked over the papers scattered across its surface, taking note of all of the personal effects Ravi had left behind that she’d have to have to returned to him later on. An extra pair of reading glasses, a metallic meteorite fragment, a few old pictures… but one thing in particular caught her eye, her attention quickly being drawn the elegantly framed photograph that he’d elected to keep in plain view near the right hand corner of his desk. Given its positioning and the papers pushed away from it, it seemed to be something he’d picked up and looked at quite a bit over these past couple of months. She smiled. She’d forgotten about this. It brought back a lot of fond memories for her.

The picture within the frame appeared to depict a fairly young Asami – easily no more than 8 or 9 years old at the time, from the looks of things – happily climbing over the seat a brand new, fresh-off-the-line Satomobile with her father standing outside, his hand resting on its hood and a solemn smile on his face, a young, dark-skinned teenage boy of about 16 or 17 smiling and leaning over the seat directly next to her. Ravi… he was an orphan, but a great worker and skilled machinist, intuitive and entirely self-taught. Her father had recognized his talents almost immediately and hired him on the spot, giving him a place to stay in a room above one of their factories and a steady source of income for the first time in his life, initially unaware of his abilities as a bender.

She’d practically grown up in her father’s factories and had fond memories of exploring them, climbing on machines and watching Satomobiles get put together piece by piece, spending a lot of time at Ravi’s and her father’s sides, occasionally being saved by them from messes she’d created. As the both of them got older and she went on to study more seriously with her father, however, she saw Ravi less and less, but their friendship remained no less strong than it’d always been. Knowing what she knew now about her father from that point in time, she wondered if maybe he’d subtly been trying to keep her away from Ravi on purpose, due to his discovery of him being a bender.

When her father had later openly sided with the Equalists and was subsequently taken to prison, she made sure that one of the first things that she did after taking over the company was to put Ravi into an even greater position of power, one she felt as though he deserved. She was the one who ultimately put Ravi in charge of their main factory, keeping him as her right-hand man and allowing him to work wherever he pleased within the company. So, when she and Korra had decided to go on that vacation a couple months back, naturally, she knew exactly who to call on and put in charge while she was away. And as she’d expected, he had performed wonderfully.

But, now her vacation was over, and she was the one back behind the desk, personally directing Republic City’s expansion and reconstruction. Checking the clock hanging above the door, there was still another good 60 or so minutes until 6PM, her and Korra’s planned meeting time at Air Temple Island. Until then, she figured she might as well look over those notes that Ravi had left for her. Like she’d said before, she had a lot of catching up to do.

***** *** *** *** *****

Air Temple Island… even though it’d only been a couple of months, it felt as though it’d been a lifetime since Korra was last here. So much had changed in such a short amount of time that she’d almost completely lost track of it. But it was good to be back. This place had always felt like home to her, ever since the day she’d first arrived in Republic City almost 4 years ago. She almost felt sad leaving it behind, but there were bigger and better things waiting for her back in the city, with Asami – she couldn’t stay here forever. The time had finally come for this Avatar to leave the proverbial nest.

As her boat pulled up the stone dock at the edge of the island, she thanked its captain once again for giving her a ride, the old man at the wheel shaking his head and indicating that it was no problem, and that he was honored to be able to help out the Avatar, even if it was only with a ride from the city. Once again finding herself lacking any money, she’d had to rely on the kindness of strangers to get her where she needed to go, something she’d ended up needing a lot of today – the city had changed so much over the last two months, she’d actually managed to get herself lost in trying to navigate her way from the Northern District to the Eastern Harbor. Twice.

But, between all of the closed off roads and damaged landmarks, it actually would’ve been more surprising if she _hadn’t_ gotten lost at some point. She was starting to think that maybe she should’ve borrowed some money from Asami before she dropped her off, it would’ve been much more convenient to just hitch a ride in a cab or something. Though, that wouldn’t really have helped much with Naga to take into consideration, as well… maybe she was just doomed from the start. Good thing she had a thankful populace on her side more than willing to help her out for taking down that giant metal monstrosity a few months back, huh? She just had to make sure she didn’t go abusing all of that good will. _Too much_ , anyway.

Stepping off of the boat from atop Naga’s back, Korra waved goodbye to the elderly fisherman as her pet scarfed down the last of the fish that he had given her, a nearby Air Acolyte immediately recognizing who she was and running to announce her return, catching the attention of just about everybody in the immediate area. She shook her head, smiling. This was just going to be her new norm now, wasn’t it? Ah well, she couldn’t say she didn’t like it. “KORRA’S BACK!” Came the cry, a young boy swooping down from above in a glider suit, soon joined by his two older sisters. Seemed that the first to respond to the Acolyte’s calls were the Airbender Kids – Jinora, Ikki and Meelo – who had been training only a couple dozen feet away, the three of them tackling her with a hug almost as soon as she’d hopped off Naga’s back, catching the young Avatar off guard.

“So, how was the Spirit World? Did you and Asami get lost? Is that why you were gone for two months five days three hours and seventeen minutes? Did you get to see Iroh again? Did you turn into a kid again? How was the fruit there? Does the Spirit World even have fruit? Why do I smell cinnamon?” Unsurprisingly, Ikki had begun excitedly firing off a multitude of questions before Korra had even regained her balance, causing the Water Tribe girl to laugh. Some things never changed, huh?

“I expected status reports, soldier! You disappoint me!” Meelo energetically huffed, only about half joking, by Korra’s estimation. Seemed he was still in his little military commander kick, huh? Well, not every Airbender was destined to turn out a peaceful monk, she supposed, even if Tenzin was their father. This was probably the closest thing to a “welcome back” she’d be getting out of him.

“Welcome back, Korra. We really missed you.” The last of the three, Jinora, greeted simply, her tone and demeanor _much_ calmer than her younger brother’s and sister’s were. By far, she was the most mature of the three, a young girl with the mind of a sage and a breath of fresh air when compared to her siblings. Not that they didn’t have their charms, but really, Ikki and Meelo could be more than a little tiring, _especially_ together. But that’s why of the three, she was the only one who was considered a bona fide Airbending Master – tattoos and all.

“Thank you, Jinora, I really missed you guys too. And I’m sorry Meelo, I kind of got caught up in exploring, you know how it is. Besides, it’s kind of hard to keep in touch with people from the spirit world. And to answer your questions, Ikki – amazing, a few times, not really, yes, once or twice, good, lots of it, reasons.” Really? “Reasons”? That certainly wasn’t much of an answer. As the three young Airbenders brought their hug to an end, Ikki opened her mouth to press the issue further only to have her father interrupt her as he came walking down the steps to the dock, a rather annoyed look stretched across his face, one that Korra remembered seeing a lot from Tenzin in the past. It was like she’d just thought to herself: some things never change.

“What’s with all this racket? I was just about to–” Tenzin began to complain, stopping mid sentence upon seeing Korra, Naga and his kids laughing as they walked onto the shore, Korra giving the Airbending Master a hug hello.

“Guess who’s back?” She greeted with a grin, the older gentleman responding with a warm smile.

“Korra, it’s been a while. How have you been? How was the Spirit World?” He asked, holding the girl by her shoulders.

“Oh man, it was great, I had a lot of fun. It was really relaxing, too, I _really_ needed that. I think I’m going to make it a point to vacation there a bit more often in the future, it works wonders on stress.” She replied. Then again, her traveling companion had certainly helped things, too.

“I dunno, the spirit world seems like it would be boring, there’s no action! What did you even _do_ for two months? Meditate?” Meelo scoffed, causing Korra to laugh. It was a valid question, especially for somebody like him. Not that Korra couldn’t relate, she loved to be where the action was, too. She’d just had more than enough action for a little while there was all.

“Oh, you know. Explored the Spirit World, befriended some spirits, ran from my life from some other spirits, lost at Pai Sho to Iroh, made out with Asami, got betrothed – the usual.” …Wait, what?

“I KNEW IT!” Ikki shouted, hopping a couple feet into the air and thrusting her fist above her head in celebration. She’d been _trying_ to tell them there was something else going on between Korra and Asami, but nobody believed her! But she knew. She _always _knew. _Vindicated at last_. While Tenzin and Meelo shared a somewhat shocked expression at the revelation – Meelo more than his father – Jinora just shook her head. Ikki was never going to let her hear the end of this. She couldn’t say that it really surprised her, but at the same time, she couldn’t really say she’d have seen it coming, either.__

“…Wow. That’s… wow. I’m really happy for you. Congratulations.” Tenzin replied, not really sure what else to say. Her and Asami was one thing, but _betrothed_? Well, he definitely didn’t see that one coming.

“Yeah… that was kind of a thing that happened.” Korra awkwardly replied while rubbing the back of her neck, a nervous smile on her face. “Can’t be afraid to mix it up sometimes, right?” You know, thinking back on it, that phrase took on a whole different meaning now. Was that what Asami had been implying? She could’ve sworn she’d had said that to her a _couple_ of times in the past. Could she have been…? …Nah. …Well, maybe? How long HAD she kept that girl waiting, anyway? Maybe she had a little bit more than just three years to make up for…

“Well, I… guess it’s not without precedent? There were always rumors about Avatar Kiyoshi, and there were a couple of monks back before the Hundred Year War…” Tenzin thought aloud. I mean, looking at it now, Korra and Asami made perfect sense together, but… how did he not see that coming? It seemed that Ikki was right all along. “Well, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re happy. I’m really glad you’ve found somebody that you connect with so well. I mean, betrothal… that’s a pretty big step. And so soon. Are you absolutely certain that this isn’t a little premature?” He asked, hoping that his question wouldn’t offend her. He just wanted to make sure that Korra understood what it was she was getting herself into – it’d only been a couple of months. But even still, she’d put more thought into this one decision than she had anything else in her entire life.

“Don’t worry, it’s not like we’re running off and getting married tomorrow or anything like that, we’re going to hold off for a little while and see how things go first. Life’s going to be pretty hectic for the both of us these next couple of years, what with the expansion of the city and Kuvira’s trial and the dissolution of the Earth Kingdom… but I… I think she’s the one. So it’s like a promise, you know? When we’re both ready.” She explained, smiling. A few years back, she might have gotten a little angry at a question like that, but she genuinely appreciated Tenzin’s concern. As supportive as he was of her decision, her father had asked her the same thing when she’d told him, too. The two of them just wanted to make sure that she didn’t rush headfirst into things like she used to and get herself hurt. This wasn’t a decision to be made lightly.

Relatively speaking, it _had_ been a pretty short amount of time, but then at the same time, it also felt so much longer. To her, it almost felt like she and Asami had been together for years – since she opened the Spirit Portals, at least. That was when their friendship _really_ took off. Asami was one of those people she felt like she’d known her whole life and the only one she trusted completely. This just felt like the next natural step to her. She’d given it _a lot_ of thought over their vacation, and she knew that Asami had, too, even if she’d never really mentioned it. Hell, that poor girl had probably been thinking about it all those years that she was gone, too, even if it was in a more fantasy-based context. Looking back, it was pretty clear to Korra now that Asami had had feelings for her since before she’d left for the South Pole, at least. After everything that she’d been through and all of the time they’d spent together in the Spirit World, she was sure about this. They both were. Different people moved at different speeds, and this was hers and Asami’s.

“Very well. I’m not here to judge, just to make sure that you’ve thought this through, and it seems like you have. I wish you two the best of luck going into the future.” Tenzin replied. Korra nodded, thanking him for his support. He’d almost been like a second father to her, ever since she first appeared in Republic City. Sure, they kind of got off on the wrong foot at first, but… before long, he’d accepted her into his home and his family almost as though she were his own kid. There weren’t enough words in the English language for her to adequately describe her gratitude for everything he’d done for her over these past four years, from letting her live here on the island, to training her in the art of Airbending, to offering her the support and spiritual guidance she’d needed to grow not only as the Avatar, but as a person.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt sad over the thought of leaving. This place had become like a home away from home for her in the truest sense. She knew that she’d always be welcome here, but… it wouldn’t really be the same. So it was a little sad, but also exciting. Because what awaited her now, with Asami, was something completely different. Something she’d only ever dreamed of. And she couldn’t wait.

“Where is Asami, anyway? I thought you two would have come back together.” Tenzin asked, looking over Korra’s shoulder to see if maybe she was behind her or Naga or still by the dock. But, she wasn’t.

“Oh, we did, but I dropped her off at that new tower they’re building in the Northern District, the one her company’s headquartered in. She’s going to be meeting up with me here herself in about a half an hour or so, say hello to everyone and catch up a bit before we go looking for Mako and Bolin.” Korra explained. “I can’t believe how big that place is already, Republic City sure works quick.” She marveled.

“That’s because we’ve been helping out a lot, too!” Ikki chimed in, a wide, proud smile on her face. “The Air Nation’s been helping out a lot with construction and in the really bad neighborhoods. Zaofu has, too, and a lot of people from surrounding cities.” She explained. There was a veritable army of workers and volunteers out there in the streets helping out with expansion and reconstruction, everybody was doing their part. But, that wasn’t to say there weren’t some pretty major obstacles…

“Indeed. It’s been a group effort. We’ve had our fair share of problems, however. I just found out that the Triads have been interfering with some of our relief efforts in the poorer neighborhoods lately, where their hold is the strongest. We’ve been trying our hardest to work around them, but it’s getting harder every day. I’m afraid that at this point, it may be only a matter of time before we’re forced into a direct confrontation with them.” Tenzin elaborated, a discouraged tone in his voice. Even he knew that things were quickly reaching a tipping point with regards to the Triads. If something didn’t change soon, there’s no telling what could happen.

“Wow. President Raiko told me things have been pretty bad with them lately, but I had no idea they were _that_ bad… do you think maybe I should step in and see if I can’t help out in some way?” Korra asked. It _was_ one of her duties as the Avatar to maintain balance, after all, and as it stood, things within Republic City were quickly becoming very _im_ balanced. If the police were struggling this much and the new Air Nation was being prevented from helping people, then maybe she should take a decidedly active stance against the recent crime wave and see if she could get Lin to let her help out in some way.

“You spoke with President Raiko?” Tenzin was a little surprised. Had she gone to see him, or was it the other way around? Raiko had mentioned asking Korra for help to him in the past, but he didn’t expect him to go for it the instant she stepped back onto shore. That man was opportunistic in every way imaginable.

“Yeah, apparently news of Asami and I returning broke the other day, there was a pretty big crowd waiting there to welcome us back and he was in it. He’d turned it into this whole big event and tried to get a press conference going, but that didn’t… exactly… work out… aha…” Yeah, she wasn’t going to be mentioning that little train wreck again anytime soon. Tenzin shook his head.

“Why am I not surprised? That man is a real politician, through and through. But your help would be much appreciated, Korra. We’ve been doing alright so far, but Republic City needs its Avatar back.” The question just became whether or not Lin would be willing to let Korra actually help out or not. Tenzin couldn’t see why she wouldn’t, but then, neither he or Korra knew about the recent string of murders or potential serial killer spirit prowling Republic City’s streets yet. As much of a mess as the Triads were making, something of that caliber kind of took precedence.

“Tenzin? Kids? Are you out here? Dinner’s ready!” Came the voice from above the stairs, breaking the mood. Tenzin’s wife, Pema, stood there for a moment, squinting her eyes and moving down a couple of steps while her three kids bolted past her full speed ahead for the dining hall. “…Korra? Is that you?” She asked. “Welcome back dear. There should be more than enough for you to join us too, if you’d like.” You know, Pema was probably the first person to not freak out or otherwise be surprised to see Korra back. Much as she was starting to enjoy people’s reactions to seeing her again, it was still a refreshing change of pace from the rest of the day so far. Then again, after raising two Airbenders and a Meelo, _nothing_ could really surprise _that_ woman anymore.

“Sure, I’d love to. Asami will probably be joining us pretty soon, too, if that’s okay.” She asked, walking up the steps toward Pema along with Tenzin.

“Mhm. To be honest, Bumi helped out in the kitchen tonight and went a little overboard, said something about Bum-Ju telling him we’d be needing more. Guess he was right.” She shrugged. Well, Bum-Ju was a spirit, and Korra supposed spirits talked to one another about current events. Her return through the Southern Spirit Portal was probably old news to them by now, they were probably well aware she was coming back to the city even before someone from Future Industries leaked it to the press.

“You let Bumi near a stove? Please tell me the temple’s still standing. The last time Bumi cooked for me, he nearly set fire to half the island.” Tenzin groaned.

“Oh shush, he’s not that bad. Besides, I could use a little bit more help around here. The lack of faith you have in that man really surprises me sometimes, I mean honestly.” Pema replied.

“You weren’t there, Pema, that man could set a soup on fire. He may have acquired Airbending, but I’m telling you, he could be a world class Firebender.” While Pema rolled her eyes, Korra couldn’t help but laugh. Yeah, she was definitely going to miss this place.

“Whatever you say, dear. Anyway, it’s good to have you back, Korra. This place hasn’t been the same without you.” Pema continued as she, Tenzin and Korra walked along the path to the dining hall, her words causing the Water Tribe girl to come to a stop. That’s right. She hadn’t actually told them why she was here yet, had she? They probably assumed she was coming back to stay.

“…Oh. Actually, I’m… not staying.” Korra replied, her response prompting Pema and Tenzin to be the ones to stop this time. “I actually just came here to see how everyone’s been while I was away and to gather my things from my room. I’m going to be moving in with Asami.” She explained.

“…Asami?” Right, Pema wasn’t there for Ikki’s little victory dance and Korra’s explanation, was she?

“Yeah, we’re actually, uh, kind of a couple now.” She explained briefly. There was no need to keep dragging it out each and every time, she had a feeling Mako and Bolin were going to be awkward enough as it was. She might as well just say it.

“They’re betrothed.” Tenzin added on. Given the circumstances, it made sense that she’d be moving out, he supposed, but it’d still caught him a little off guard.

“…Really? Huh. It’s about time. That girl’s been chasing after you for years.” Pema shrugged, acting as though it were old news to her. Korra and Tenzin kind of just stood there for a moment, glancing at each other and then back to Pema. She knew? “Oh, don’t look so surprised. The Acolytes talk, you know, and Ikki raised quite the convincing argument. Besides, I’ve seen how Asami looks at you, she practically rebuilt this city in your image while you were still recovering in the South Pole. I was beginning to wonder if she was ever going to take a chance and say something to you. I’m glad to see everything worked itself out.” Well, when she put it that way. Korra had never really thought about it before, but Asami did kind of build Republic City with her in mind, didn’t she? Trying to strike a balance between technology and nature, the city park named after her… hell, even her car. She’d kind of just taken it as a mix of coincidence and missing a friend, but now that she really thought about it…

“Has she really had feelings for me for that long? The more I think about it, the more I’m beginning to realize just how clueless I’ve actually been all these years. Now that we’re together, when I _really_ think about it, even before Zaheer… I didn’t put much thought into it back then, but…” Korra replied. Personally, she didn’t start figuring things out until she started trying to write Asami back while she was recuperating in the South Pole – after that, everything just clicked for her. She’d realized that Asami had had feelings for her for longer than she had had feelings for Asami, but she didn’t really think about for how long until now. After Zaheer it was pretty obvious, but… the more she thought about it, the more she realized that maybe something had been going on since even before that for Asami, and the whole Zaheer thing just crystallized it for her.

“Oh, don’t worry so much about it. What’s important is that you two are together now, not how long it took for that to happen. I’m sure she couldn’t be happier either way.” Pema reassured. She was right. There was no use worrying over how long it had or hadn’t been. What mattered was that they were together _now_ , and Korra had no intention of that not being the case anytime in the foreseeable (or otherwise) future.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Korra replied, sighing. She’d said it herself before – sometimes, in retrospect, what seems bad at one time can turn out to be beneficial or important later on. Maybe it was a good thing that she never caught on to Asami’s feelings earlier, maybe their love was stronger now than it would’ve been otherwise. I mean, 3 and a half years is a hell of a long time to wait for somebody like that… if that wasn’t a testament to Asami’s resolve and the veracity of her feelings, she didn’t know what was. “I don’t know how I’m going to break it to the kids, I think they all kind of assumed I was coming back to stay, too…” She trailed, rubbing the back of her neck. She probably should’ve opened with that in retrospect, but then, she _was_ kind of caught off guard.

“I’m sure they’ll understand, I don’t think anyone expected you to stay here forever.” Tenzin replied. It was always just one of those things that you know isn’t going to last, but at the same time, you don’t really know when it’s going to end either, so when it finally does, it ends up catching you off guard. Even with the revelation of the betrothal, he didn’t think she’d be leaving so soon. “Eventually, a young woman such as yourself is going to want to stand on her own two feet, right? Start making her own choices where she stays.”

“Yeah. I honestly can’t wait.” Korra smiled.

“Guys, come on! The food is getting cold!” Ikki called from the door to the dining hall, catching the three’s attention. Right – they couldn’t keep everyone waiting forever. Korra was starting to feel pretty hungry right about now, anyway. It was time to eat!

***** *** *** *** *****

“…And that’s how I managed to save an entire fleet with nothing more than three penguins, a broken radio and an old toothbrush!” Bumi exclaimed, finishing yet another long-winded and far-fetched war story, much to the relief of those gathered. The sad part was that at least half of those stories were probably true, but they were so out there, nobody believed them. Which ones belonged to the ‘true’ half was anybody’s guess though, which simply added to the frustration. However, everybody had given up figuring that out years ago.

“…Right. Anyway, how was your dinner, Korra?” Tenzin asked, scrambling to try and get a conversation going now that Bumi was finally done occupying everybody’s time, much to the older gentleman’s chagrin. Some people just didn’t appreciate a good war story, he supposed. And it was one of his favorites, too! As she finished off what little rice remained in her bowl and placed it back on the table next to her recently cleared dumplings, Korra nodded.

“Just like I remembered it. Pema always did make the best Rice & Dumplings. I don’t know how she does it.” Korra replied. Whenever she ate Pema’s cooking, it always reminded her of her own mom’s, just a little bit. It was probably because this place felt so much like a second home to her, but Pema being a mother herself likely had something to do with it as well. “Spirit Fruit is great and all, but I dunno, it got a little monotonous after a while. Between my mom’s Octopus Stew and Pema’s Rice & Dumplings, I’m becoming more and more content with never seeing another Spirit Fruit again.” She complained.

She’d made do with the lack of proper bedding in the Spirit World just fine, she and Asami mostly just took turns using each other’s chests other as pillows anyway, but the lack of variety in edible fruits and vegetables in the Spirit World was unforgivable. Then again, after that bad experience with those berries that one time, she wasn’t exactly keen on experimenting with anything else after the first week or two. She’d forgotten to factor in how mischievous and/or unknowing of human physiology spirits actually were.

“You and me both.” Korra’s head whipped around the instant that voice breached the silence, responding to her criticism. She knew that voice like the back of her hand, by this point.

“Asami!” Korra shouted somewhat ecstatically, rising up from her spot at the table to greet the girl standing in the doorway with a hug. “When did you get here?”

“Just now, actually. One of the Air Acolytes greeted me outside and told me you guys were expecting me in the dining room.” The dark-haired girl replied, nodding and greeting the kids back as they welcomed her from across the table, along with Tenzin, Bumi and Pema.

“Well, there’s still some leftover Rice & Dumplings if you’re hungry. I made sure we saved some for when you showed up.” Korra explained as she pulled away, walking her fiancee to an empty spot at the table to her right.

“That sounds wonderful, thank you.” Asami said. Nothing like a good hour of paperwork to drum up an appetite. “So, did you tell them yet?” She asked, not wanting to be too specific as to not spoil the surprise if Korra hadn’t, the knowing glances she received from Ikki and Jinora from across the table answering her question before Korra could even open her mouth.

“Well, kind of.” Korra replied. “Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, Tenzin and Pema know. I don’t know about Bumi or anybody else, but apparently Ikki’s been spreading rumors ever since we left for the Spirit World.” Well it wasn’t like the two of them literally walking off into the sunset together was terribly subtle or anything. What was she expecting? Asami just laughed, amused at Ikki’s triumphant smirk.

“Is it still a rumor if it’s true? I’ve just been telling it like it is all along.” The young Airbender defended, her older sister briefly explaining to their confused uncle that Korra and Asami were now officially “a thing” like Ikki had been saying. He didn’t really seem to be that affected by it either way though, simply shrugging it off and taking another bowl of rice. Wasn’t really any of his business, the way he figured it. Meelo, meanwhile, appeared to be completely disinterested with the conversation at hand and was instead currently sculpting something out of the food in his bowl, which his mother promptly scolded him for, while Tenzin decided to follow his brother’s lead and simply mind his own business, taking another sip of his drink.

“I guess not. Not that I really made my feelings all that difficult to tell in retrospect. Korra’s just dense.” Asami shrugged, teasing her fiancee, a sly grin creeping its way to the corners of her mouth as she took her first bite of the dumplings.

“Hey! Am not!” Korra responded, predictably offended – albeit only playfully so – at the accusation regardless of its veracity, causing Jinora, Ikki and Asami all to laugh at her expense. The young Avatar blushed lightly in embarrassment, crossing her arms with a huff and lowering her head slightly, glancing down and to her right and muttering something indistinguishable beneath her breath in response.

“What was that? ‘We have our perks’?” Asami asked, Korra’s eyes widening slightly. Oops. She heard that? Well, that’s what she got for muttering while literally sitting right next to somebody, even if she was misheard.

“No, I actually said ‘you’re all a bunch of jerks’, but, yeah, I guess that’s not exactly untrue either, even if it is unrelated.” She corrected, her arms still crossed and still refusing to look back up on account of her increasingly red face. Asami just laughed again, placing a hand on Korra’s shoulder. Poor girl couldn’t catch a break today, could she? Well, she might as well throw her a bone.

“So, where’s Kai, Opal, Daw and all the others? I thought they’d be here on the island with you guys now that Kuvira’s been taken care of and things with the Earth Kingdom territories seem to be going well.” Asami asked. Honestly, she’d expected to see this place crawling with Airbenders by now, but so far she’d only seen a number of Air Acolytes and Tenzin’s immediate family.

“A few of them are. Ryu’s still giving tours in the Spirit Wilds, but almost everybody else is helping out with relief and construction efforts in the city right now.” Tenzin replied. Though initially decimated by Kuvira’s Spirit Weapon, the Wilds were quickly beginning to return to the Downtown area in and around the remains of the city, just beyond the crater; and the new Spirit Portal was also something of a tourist attraction these days, so either way, Ryu wasn’t off the hook with tour duties just yet, much to his dismay.

“Poor Ryu. Probably not the kind of job he was expecting after becoming an Airbender.” Korra mentioned. Not that Ryu ever really wanted a job in the first place, he was always more of the lazy sort, but still. Poor guy got relegated to tour duty while everybody else traveled the world helping people in need. Though, Korra wondered whether or not he’d really care much about that, either.

“Yes, well, everybody has their talents.” Tenzin defended. Honestly, nobody really liked having to deal with Ryu, Tenzin included. He tended to like making things a lot more difficult than they needed to be.

“Yeah, ‘talents’.” Korra responded, rolling her eyes. Well, whatever got the job done. “Anyway, um, I told Tenzin and Pema this outside, but I haven’t really had the chance to tell anybody else yet,” Korra spoke up, directing her words primarily at the Airbender Kids sitting across the table from her, immediately grabbing their attention as well as Asami’s, who continued to eat. “But this is actually going to be my last dinner here, at least for a while. I’m going to be moving off of Air Temple Island tonight in order to go live in the Sato Estate, with Asami.” She explained. Ikki’s expression immediately sunk, a complete 180 from the triumphant smile from a couple moments prior, Meelo following suit while Jinora simply frowned slightly.

“Well, I guess that makes sense.” Jinora replied. “It’s still sad to see you go, though. It’s been really fun having you live with us all this time.” Korra frowned.

“Well, it’s not like I’m leaving the city or anything, so I can still visit. It’s also probably not a bad idea to brush up on my Airbending skills a little bit every now and then.” The Southern Water Tribe girl explained. “I’m just going to be living in a different part of the city now is all. I feel like it’s time I started making some changes and left the nest, you know?” Asami gave a somewhat disheartened look, picking up on her fiancee’s mixed emotions. As excited as she was to be moving out, Korra really did see Tenzin’s family as her own, didn’t she? She almost felt a little guilty to be a part of the reason why she was leaving, even if it was a happy one.

“Does this mean I can have your room?” Ikki asked, trying to make the best of the situation.

“I think that one’s up to your dad, but I have no problems with it.” Korra replied, giving the younger girl a small smile. “I’m going to miss you guys.” She said.

“Well, you brought a lot of spirit to this island, Korra. Guess it’s gonna be up to Bum-Ju, Meelo and I to liven this place up from now on!” Bumi cut in, glancing over at his young nephew who was still busy sculpting something out of his food, much to his mother’s chagrin, but gave his uncle a thumbs up in response regardless. Tenzin, meanwhile, preemptively rubbed his temples. Greeeeaaaat… they hadn’t even done anything yet and he could _already_ feel a migraine coming on. Korra laughed.

“You know, I’m almost sad I won’t be able to see that. Good luck with that, Tenzin.” She teased, the Airbending Master groaning in response. “Meelo, what are you even doing, anyway? You’ve been surprisingly quiet all dinner.” She asked.

“Oh, you know, just working on my latest masterpiece.” The young boy replied, lifting his bowl and showing it to Korra, a beautifully sculpted carving of his own face having been crafted out of the rice in his bowl. Wow. She didn’t know Meelo was such a talented artist before. “It’s beautiful because of its impermanence, and also because it’s me. Now to eat it!” He stated with glee, finally digging in and eating for the first time since he’d sat down while his mother just stared at him in shock.

“…“Beautiful because of its impermanence”? I think somebody’s been spending a little bit too much time with Huan…” Jinora groaned, rolling her eyes. If there were ever somebody who personified pretentiousness, it was that guy. Meanwhile, Korra and Asami just laughed.

“Looks like you guys have got a little artist in your hands.” Asami remarked.

“You should’ve seen the portrait of Korra that he drew back when we were searching the Earth Kingdom for her.” Ikki spoke up, catching the young engineer’s attention. A portrait of Korra, huh?

“Please! There is no use in basking in the glory of the past, it distracts from the now!” Meelo shouted in reply, Jinora just dragging her hand down her face, receiving a sympathetic look from her father. Once again, Korra and Asami just laughed. After a couple more moments, Korra sighed, a warm smile stretched across her face as she glanced over at the clock hanging on the wall. She should probably get going soon. It was going to take a while to pack everything up and move it over to the estate, and they still had to go looking for Mako and Bolin after that.

“Well, it’s been nice, but I should probably go start getting things packed up. It’s starting to get a bit late.” Korra began, standing up from the table and stretching out her back as her fiancee finished up the last of her dinner. “You brought one of your boats here, right, Asami? I was initially just going to see if I couldn’t load everything up on a sky bison, but maybe it’d be better if we used that.” She suggested.

“Actually, I just took a public ferry here. It’d be easier if we could just borrow a bison anyway, the estate is pretty far inland, so even if I did bring one of my boats, we wouldn’t have any way to get it there once we reached shore.” …Good point, Korra hadn’t actually thought about that. She just felt bad assuming she could even borrow a bison in the first place, even though she knew the answer would’ve been a yes if she’d asked. It just seemed in bad form under the circumstances.

“If it’s a sky bison you need, I’d be happy to lend you Oogi for a little while, if you’d like.” Tenzin replied, receiving a thankful nod from Korra in response.

“That’d be a lot of help, thank you.” She replied.

“Of course. I’ll let a few of the Air Acolytes know that you’re packing up and go bring Oogi over to the women’s dormitories, they can help you load up his saddle.” The Airbending Master offered, rising from his spot at the table to do just that.

“Thank you, again, for everything. All of you. You guys took me in as one of your own and gave me a place to stay in Republic City for years… you’re all like family to me. I really, really can’t thank you enough.” The gathered family of Avatar descendants smiled.

“Of course. If you ever need anything, we’re here for you. You will always be welcome at Air Temple Island.” Tenzin replied. Finished eating, Asami stood up next, placing her hand back onto Korra’s shoulder, giving her a comforting smile and putting the girl at ease. Home wasn’t a place you ever really left, it was something that you took with you wherever it was you happened to be in the world, and sometimes, that could include multiple places at once. Korra was just lucky enough to have three. After all, as the old adage goes, home is where the heart is, and hers belonged to Asami, her family back home, and to Air Temple Island. In spite of all the hardships she’d endured, she was nevertheless blessed.

Standing up from the table, Jinora, Ikki and Meelo collectively gave Korra another great big group hug, this time looping Asami into the mix as well, wishing the two of them the best as they turned and walked away, heading for the girl’s dormitories across the island.

***** *** *** *** *****

Having made their way to Korra’s old room on the other side of the island, Korra and Asami began packing up the blue-eyed girl’s belongings into a number of suitcases and boxes, passing them over to a couple of Air Acolytes standing outside who would then take them up onto Oogi’s back and secure them to the sky bison’s saddle, making sure that everything was properly sealed and wouldn’t go flying once they took off. Thankfully, Korra didn’t have very much stuff, so it wasn’t something that was going to take very long – maybe five or six boxes of miscellaneous clothes, personal effects, gifts and other assorted belongings and they’d be on their way.

Or, at least, they would’ve been, if Mako and Bolin hadn’t shown up.

Their shift at the precinct now over, the two of them arrived on the island via public transport pretty much right as the two girls left the dining hall. They fully expected to find at least Korra here, having been well aware of hers and Asami’s return to Republic City earlier that day, but they were a little surprised to hear from the Acolytes upon arriving that Asami was here, too. They’d both assumed that she’d have gone straight back to her company and got caught up on all of her work as soon as she got back. Perhaps she and Korra were looking to extend their vacation until tomorrow?

“Korra! Asami! There you are!” Bolin called, seeing the two girls sitting down on Korra’s floor through the open door, packing their last box. Looking up from what they were doing first at each other and then outside, they were surprised to see Bolin running across the courtyard to Korra’s room with Mako walking up at a leisurely pace from behind him, his hands tucked into his pockets. Well, at least they wouldn’t have to go looking for them now!

“Mako! Bolin!” Korra called, immediately dropping what she was doing and running out of her room to greet the brothers with a big hug, Bolin accepting it wholeheartedly while Mako was caught completely off guard. He seemed to be getting pulled into a lot of these today. “I really missed you guys. It feels like it’s been forever.” She stated as Asami stepped out of the room behind her, handing the last box of Korra’s things to the Acolytes to be loaded up onto Oogi’s back.

“We were just about to go looking for you guys after we finished up here, this actually saves us a lot of trouble.” Asami mentioned, walking up to the two bending brothers and greeting them individually with a hug, echoing her fiancee’s sentiments. She’d really missed them. “It’s so good to see you guys again.”

“It’s good to see you guys again, too. You’re never gonna believe what we’ve been up to lately, it’s actually part of the reason why we’re here right now. But that can wait! First, a heart-warming reunion.” Bolin smiled, pulling Korra, Asami and his brother into yet another hug, much to the Firebender’s chagrin. Why was everybody being so huggy all of a sudden? It was starting to make him uncomfortable, something that Asami almost immediately picked up on after Bolin had let them go, tilting her head to the right.

“…? Mako, is everything alright?” Asami asked, sensing his hesitation. Crap, she was onto him.

“What? Yeah, everything’s fine! I’m glad to see you two again, too. It’s been a while.” Mako replied, glancing away briefly, his hands still sunk into his pockets. Neither Asami or Korra were buying it though, the blue-eyed girl in question crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow, non-verbally demanding Mako say whatever it was that was _really_ on his mind. Mako, however, was intent on not talking about it, insisting with a shrug that he had no idea what she was insinuating. Uh-huh. Sure.

“Oh, don’t mind him. He’s just a little miffed that you guys ran off without telling anybody. Personally I don’t really care, but Gloomy Gong over here apparently likes to take everything personally.” Bolin shrugged, giving the two a ‘What can you do?’ look while Mako shot him a glare that could freeze a volcano. Well, so much for playing it cool and taking care of this later. He just wanted to say his hellos and then get down to business and get this over with, leave it to Bolin to unnecessarily complicate things. He subconsciously reached for his left arm, rubbing the scar that climbed up his wrist.

“…Oh.” Korra responded, glancing over at Asami, a concerned look on her face. Right. She did kind of skip over telling Mako and Bolin when she was leaving for the Spirit World, didn’t she? Oops. She was actually kind of taken aback, she didn’t think that Mako would take it so personally. “Uh… sorry about that…” She apologized nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. “It was kind of a ‘spur-of-the-moment’ decision, you know? There wasn’t really much planning behind it… I just gathered a few things, told my parents and Tenzin I was going to be exploring the Spirit World with Asami so they wouldn’t worry about where I went, and then… left. And Asami had to go make sure her company stayed afloat while she was gone, so…” She explained. Well. This was a little awkward.

“See, that’s what I’ve been telling him! But nope, he seems to think you guys have something against him or something, I dunno. I think he just thinks too much.” Bolin replied, shrugging yet again while Mako let loose an annoyed sigh. He was completely misrepresenting the situation.

“…Something against him?” Korra raised an eyebrow, somewhat offended by the insinuation. She glanced back over at Asami, who shrugged, as unsure of what he was talking about as Korra was. Why would Mako think she or Asami had something against him? She thought she’d squared everything away with him back at the party, before she’d left for the Spirit World. Was there something going on she didn’t know about?

“I don’t think they have something against me, Bolin, I’m just a little ticked off that my two best friends went on a private vacation and then left me to find out about it secondhand the next day. There’s a difference.” The detective complained, correcting his younger brother. “I get that it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, but still, the least you could’ve done was leave a note or something. I thought we were finally back to normal again after everything that’s happened between us, and then you just up and disappeared without saying a word the very next day. So yeah, I’ll admit it, I’ve been a little mad. The city’s been falling apart and you ran off for two months without saying anything. How was I supposed to take it?” He accused, almost immediately setting Korra off. How in the hell was that not him thinking that they have something against him? How dense could you even get?

“ _Excuse_ me? Well, I’m sorry that I wasn’t thinking all about you after almost dying in a giant explosion that blasted a new Spirit Portal into existence in the center of Republic City! I mean, spirits forbid I decide treat myself to a little R &R after all the shit I just went through these past three years, never mind what Asami’s had to put up with ever since I got poisoned. Between rebuilding the city, to wondering if I was ever going to come back again, to losing her father, I just thought it’d be nice if we could step away for a bit and have some time to ourselves to relax. But nope! I forgot that I wasn’t allowed to go more than a couple seconds without considering how my actions might end up affecting the all-important Mako! What was I thinking?” Korra exploded. Leave it to Mako to somehow make this all about himself.

While Korra went off, Bolin just stood there, blinking, not really sure how to react. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything. He looked over at Asami for some sort of sign what to do, who seemed to be a little taken aback by Korra’s sudden outburst, but otherwise agreeing with what she was saying. Mako, meanwhile, just kind of winced, visibly retreating and lowering his head a bit as Korra let loose, grabbing onto his left arm even tighter, feeling a surge of pain from his scar again. This was why he didn’t want to bring this up. He knew that Korra wouldn’t understand. But then, at the same time, as he listened, he realized that she was right, too. He… hadn’t actually thought about everything Korra and Asami had been through lately, or how that may have impacted their decision, he was too busy worrying about the city and, admittedly, himself. Maybe she was right.

“Whatever. Maybe you’re right, I… didn’t really think about it like that. Whatever, it’s not important.” He hurriedly replied, just trying to get this little confrontation over with as quickly as possible. This wasn’t a fight he felt like having right now, there was too much other stuff going on that was more important than this right now. His case, for example, which he desperately needed to get Korra in on. Having her pissed off at him certainly wasn’t going to help with that. However, his rather nonchalant attitude about the whole thing only served to piss Korra off more.

“Whatever”? He goes and turns hers and Asami’s vacation into some sort of a personal attack against him, apparently acts like a child about it for two months, and then, when Korra finds out about it, suddenly it’s all just “whatever” and “not important”? Nuh-uh, he did NOT get to do that, not this time. She grit her teeth, ready to unload on him again when Asami placed her hand onto her fiancee’s shoulder, immediately snapping her out of it. Looking over to the green-eyed girl shaking her head behind her, Korra unclenched her fists, calming herself down to listen to what she had to say.

“Korra, that’s enough. I get why you’re frustrated, but it really isn’t important. It was just a misunderstanding.” She said, the Firebending detective continuing to rub his arm, visibly relieved that at least Asami wasn’t going off on him, too. “I’m a little mad, too, but I really don’t think getting angry about it going to help anything here. He doesn’t really have the full story, anyway.” She explained, giving the girl a concerned look of her own. Mako raised an eyebrow. “The full story”? Meanwhile, Korra just sighed, still clearly annoyed, but less worked up than before, at least.

“Maybe you’re right. I’m sorry. I’m just offended that Mako would think I’d be doing this to hurt him for some reason, I’m not even mad at him about anything – and even if I was, I wouldn’t react like _that_.” Korra explained. “I mean, what the fuck? Seriously, Mako? You told me before I left that you had my back, that you’d always be willing to fight beside me. What, does that not extend to me taking care of myself, or something?” She asked. Mako just looked down at the ground. Maybe she was right after all.

“I’m sorry.” Mako spoke up, catching Korra by surprise. Wait… was he actually apologizing? “You’re right. I’ve just been… I don’t know. Since you left, things have changed around her. I’ve been under a lot of stress lately, and as much as the city’s being put back together, it’s also been falling apart. I’m sure you must’ve heard about what’s been going on around here by now, but you haven’t seen what I’ve seen. Kuvira left half of the city in ruins and the Triads have Republic City in a death grip, and even with a larger police force, we’ve barely been able to do anything about it. Even with all the volunteers, it’s going to take years for us to put this place back together. I thought, maybe, with you, we’d stand a chance, but you disappeared.” He began. Korra was going to interject, but Mako stopped her, raising his hand, wanting to continue.

“But you’re right, I get it. I didn’t really think about what you had been going through, or Asami. I never really considered _why_ you two left and focused on the fact that you _did_ , instead. I just passed the blame onto both of you because there was nothing I could do about any of it, and there still isn't, but I shouldn’t have. I just… I have no idea what to do.” Korra remained silent, as did Asami and Bolin, not wanting to interrupt the moment or accidentally make things worse.

“And then you and Asami… I just can’t figure you two out anymore. I was already a little frustrated with the two of you even before you left, the way you two have been acting lately has left me pretty confused. I honestly feel like I’m third wheeling these days, like you guys just moved on with your friendship and left me behind – and then you literally did. I honestly felt a little betrayed. You know how much I care about both of you, so yeah, that played a part, too. It’s probably petty, but you’re right. I told you that I had your back, but I haven’t been acting like it. So the least I can do is try and be honest for once, instead.”

Man, where was this Mako when the two of them were dating? Korra wasn’t sure she’d ever heard him be so upfront before, at least while remaining relatively calm. Even if he wasn’t exactly acting like it before, maybe he _had_ grown up in some ways over the last couple of years. I mean, she did. Why wouldn’t Mako? She was still a little peeved, but at least now she had a better understanding of things. Seemed that she and Asami’s burgeoning relationship had just been the icing on the isolation cake for him, huh? She knew that wasn’t really her problem, but she did still care about how Mako felt, he was still her friend – even if he did drive her up the wall, sometimes.

“I’m sorry for going off on you like that. But that really hurt, you know?” Korra apologized. “Look, I get it. Maybe I didn’t leave at the best time for the city, but I needed a break. After everything I’ve been through, I _earned_ a break. I am _not_ going to apologize for taking care of myself, and Asami shouldn’t have to, either. I am sorry about not telling you or Bolin, but I honestly didn’t expect you to take it so personally. Bolin didn’t. So that one’s on you.” She explained. Much as he hated it, Mako couldn’t disagree. He sighed, frustrated and a little defeated.

“I’m sorry. Are we cool?” He asked.

“Yeah, we’re cool. Just don’t do this again. Asami and I are not out to get you or anything like that, trust me.” She replied with a smirk, glancing over at the girl in question. The only thing those two were after was–

“…Is it safe to talk now?” Bolin asked, raising his hand.

“Yes, you can talk now, Bolin.” Korra laughed.

“Phew! Sorry about all that. In retrospect, I probably shouldn’t have said anything. But hey, you live and you learn, right?” He asked. His question completely rhetorical, of course. “Anyway, I meant to ask this before until things got all shouty and awkward, but what’s with all the stuff? You look like you’re moving out.” He asked, this question less rhetorical. Well, at least somebody was moving the conversation along a more constructive path…

“Oh. Uh, I kind of am, actually. I told Tenzin and everyone earlier tonight at dinner.” Korra responded somewhat awkwardly.

“Ooh, you found a place in the city?” Bolin asked, excitement in his voice. Korra, meanwhile, just became a little more awkward, something that Mako almost immediately caught onto. That was odd.

“…I guess you could say that, yeah.” She replied.

“I see… good to hear! Living on one’s own can be a GREAT experience! Or, so I’ve heard, anyway, I’ve always kind of lived with my brother, but I’ve always wanted to try living on my own! Maybe one day…” Bolin thought aloud. Korra and Asami just shot each other a look, Asami reaching up for her necklace – something else Bolin wanted to mention. “Oh, right! I noticed that before, I almost forgot, but that’s a really cool necklace, Asami. I actually kind of want one… where’d you get that?” Bolin asked. There was no way Bolin didn’t know what he was doing here, right? He HAD to be onto them by now, didn’t he?

“…Oh, uh, Korra made it for me actually.” Asami replied, blushing slightly. Well, the two of them were planning on breaking the news to them eventually. It seemed a little out of place given Korra’s and Mako’s little spat a couple minutes back, but… you know, maybe it’d actually help set a few things straight. Keep it up Bolin. Keep it up for everlasting peace.

“Really? Wow, Korra, I didn’t even know you liked jewelery, let alone made it! That’s pretty awesome!” The rock-headed Earthbender exclaimed.

“Ehehehe, thanks, Bolin. I’m glad you like it…” Korra trailed, also blushing slightly by this point. Mako narrowed his eyes. What was going on here?

“Wait a minute, why are you two blushing? …Is my fly down? My fly’s down, isn’t it.” Not even Bolin could see two girls blushing and not realize something was up. …Or, down, as his question supposed.

“What? No, it’s just… hm.” Asami paused. How could she explain it exactly?

“It’s a betrothal necklace.” Korra interrupted. That worked.

“Ohhh, I see, I see…” Bolin replied, clearly not actually seeing it. “…OHHHHHHH.” _Now_ he saw it. Mako closed his eyes, inhaling and then exhaling sharply, burying his face in his hands. Incredible. This was just incredible. How didn’t he see this before? Suddenly, absolutely everything made sense. He just made an even bigger ass of himself than he thought, spirits help him.

“I’m an idiot.” Mako muttered, shaking his head.

“True, but you’re our idiot.” Korra teased, Mako simply continuing to shake his head, refusing to look up. His two exes were dating. Hell, they were _betrothed_! How did this even…? How didn’t he…? … _Really_?

“I am so sorry.” Mako apologized. He really was an idiot, wasn’t he? “I can’t believe this. I… congratulations?” Bolin shook his head, patting his brother on the back as he continued to process the situation.

“Wow. Gotta admit, did NOT see that one coming. I guess the Avatar can bend more than just all the elements, huh? Huh? Am I right?” Bolin nudged in Korra’s direction, wiggling his eyebrows as he did, causing both Asami and the Avatar in question to break out into a fit of laughter in response. Well, he wasn’t wrong.

“Bolin!” Mako shouted. This was hardly the time for jokes, at least to him.

“What? I’m just saying! It’s not like everybody isn’t thinking it!” Bolin complained. Yet again, he wasn’t wrong.

“We were actually going to tell you guys when we saw you until that whole thing happened,” Korra began once her laughter had subsided. “I wasn’t really sure how we were going to bring it up after that, though. Thanks, Bolin.” She smiled.

“But of course, anything for our lovely Avatar and her beautiful new fiancee.” Bolin replied, bowing in a very gentlemanly manner. So he knew what he was doing after all! “…What’d I do again?” …Didn’t he? Shaking her head, Korra couldn’t help but laugh again. Was he being serious? She honestly couldn’t tell. Truly, Bolin was the man of a million surprises.

“Never change, Bolin. Just… never change.” Korra replied. “Anyway, Asami and I should probably get going. I’m going to be moving in to her place, and we can’t keep Oogi waiting forever. I should go start getting settled in.” She explained.

“Wait,” Mako spoke up, finally seeming to have regained his composure. “Before you go, there’s something I need to talk to you about. It was actually the original reason why I wanted to come see you, it’s about this case my brother and I have been working on lately.” Korra raised an eyebrow.

“…Your brother? Since when was Bolin a cop?” Asami asked, looking over at the Earthbender in question, a wide, nervous smile spread across his face.

“Oops. I forgot to mention that? Yeah, I’m actually a cop now, and Mako and I are partners! Isn’t that awesome!? …Oh, yeah, but the case we’re working on… hoo boy. Yeah, that is most certainly _not_ awesome.” Bolin frowned. To be honest, he’d almost completely forgotten about it until Mako brought it back up. He kind of wish he didn’t. “I told Mako to wait a day or two, but… if we’re right about this, things could be getting pretty bad pretty soon. Lin wanted us to bring you in as soon as possible.”

“…What is it?” Korra asked, the look on her face completely changing. Asami looked on with concern while Mako and Bolin glanced at each other for a moment, deciding on the best way to explain it.

“Well… to put it bluntly, we think there’s a spirit attacking people in Republic City.” Mako stated. “It’s killing them, sucking out every single fluid in their body, turning them into horrible, dried up husks. But even more than that… it’s taking away their chi, too. All of it. I have no idea what this thing is, I just know it isn’t human. …I know you literally just got back earlier today, but we need your help, Korra.”

The look on Korra’s face became immediately more grave. A spirit? Killing people? Sure, spirits could get pretty angry sometimes and wreak havoc on the Physical World in response, but something _really_ bad would have to happen to prompt one to actually start killing. She sighed, looking over at Asami.

“Go.” The CEO said. “I’ll get Tenzin or Jinora to take me back to my place on Oogi and get you settled in. Looks like Republic City’s gonna need its Avatar tonight.” She shrugged, giving the Water Tribe girl a reassuring smile. Korra nodded in response, turning back to Mako and Bolin. Well, there was no use standing around here anymore.

“Let’s go. It looks I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”


	4. The Chi Eater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra joins Mako and Bolin in their investigation of the unusual murders that have been plaguing Republic City all week, coming across a witness to an earlier series of attacks who gives their mysterious killer a name - "The Chi Eater" - as Korra affirms Mako's suspicions that their killer might not actually be human. Horrified by what she's seen and so tired she can barely stand, Korra turns to Tenzin for help, hoping that he may be able to shed some light on the nature of their enemy.

# Book Five  
Chi  
  
Chapter Four  
The Chi Eater

“Wow, I never realized Naga was such a fast swimmer.” Bolin mentioned from atop the polar bear dog’s back, the animal in question, her master Korra, his brother Mako and himself having just crossed Yue Bay in what _had_ to be record time. It was almost as though somebody had strapped an engine to her back.

“Well, she _is_ from the South Pole. All about ice and water down there. What did you expect?” Mako asked, prompting an “Oh yeah” look from his younger brother’s face. Even a big ol’ fluffy polar bear dog probably didn’t want to stay in icy water for too long, Bolin figured.

While the two of them talked, however, Korra was completely focused on the task at hand, utilizing her Waterbending to boost Naga’s speed in the bay followed by an Airbending boost as she leaped high out of the water and onto a dock in the Eastern Harbor, drying her fur and the legs of those gathered on her back with a single Airbending blast. Once Korra had heard that spirits may be wreaking havoc in the city, she knew that there was no time to waste. So, she grabbed Mako and Bolin, hopped onto Naga’s back and headed straight back for Yue Bay, right then and there, a dozen possibilities flitting through her mind, one more than any other: Was this all Kuvira’s fault? Did she invite angry spirits back into Republic City?

“You guys can talk about that later, where am I going right now?” Korra asked, directing her ride to continue her charge, full speed ahead through the city streets.

“The first two murders were in Dragon Flats, the second one being on the edge of town beneath the Silk Road Bridge. We should head there first, while the crime scene is still relatively fresh.” Mako explained. Korra nodded in response. She knew the place. Back during the Equalist Movement a few years back, that was where she’d met with a Future Industries ‘informant’ who’d initially told her about Hiroshi Sato’s involvement with Amon, and about the secret factory that was hidden beneath his mansion. Actually, the more she thought about it, the more she wondered – did Asami keep that? She supposed it _could_ have its uses during an emergency situation, but…

“Right, I know where that is. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to that place… the Equalists had control of it at one point, didn’t they?” Korra asked again.

“Kind of, they did hold a number of rallies and secret meetings down there. It’s never been a very affluent neighborhood, but it’s only gotten worse since Kuvira’s attack. It was hit pretty hard by that weapon of hers and the general aftereffects of the city’s current state. It’s even more of a hotbed for Triad activity now than it was 3 years ago. We’re going to need to be extra careful down there.” Mako warned, trying to get Korra up to speed on the current state of the city. The Avatar smirked, a self-assured grin on her face.

“I think you’ve forgotten who you’re talking to – I’m the Avatar, I can handle it.” She replied, Naga taking off at an even higher speed as they rounded another corner, running straight for the aforementioned Silk Road Bridge. A few people cheered as she went by, fully aware of what that white blur was and who it belonged to, while others just looked around dazed and confused, seeing little more than a white _thing_ streak past followed by a strong gust of wind. Making it across the bridge in great time, she then directed Naga to simply jump off of its left side as they came over land, scaring the crap out of Mako and Bolin who almost immediately began to scream, holding onto Naga for dear life. Korra just flashed the most mischievous grin she could muster, Airbending to cushion their landing on the city streets below as soon as they were three quarters of the way to the ground.

“LET’S DO THAT AGAIN!” Bolin cheered after Naga had landed, coming to a stop. Mako, meanwhile, just breathed a sigh of relief. Korra did that back when they were rescuing Prince Wu from that train a couple of months back, as well… nearly scared the crap out of him then, too.

“Well, that should cut another 5 minutes of running out of the equation. Good girl, Naga.” Korra congratulated, rubbing her rather large pet’s head, who contently wagged her tail back and forth as she sat there, panting. Korra hopped off of her back first, followed shortly thereafter by Mako, and then Bolin, who lost his balance and more tumbled than hopped, landing chest first on the ground below.

“I’m okay…” He groaned, rising back to his feet and dusting off his clothes, still a little lightheaded from that leap. Looking around the area, the rookie cop gulped. This place looked even worse and more intimidating at night. Good thing he was being accompanied by two of the greatest benders he knew.

“So you said the body was found somewhere around here?” Korra asked, Mako nodding in response.

“A couple of streets down, yeah. I was going to head out there earlier, but I figured I’d be better off waiting until you were with me. If this really is a spirit, then maybe you can pick up on something with your Avatar powers that I can’t.” Mako explained. It was sound reasoning, she supposed. If a spirit was involved, if she focused at the scene of the crime, she should be able to pick up on some sort of residual energy – she might even be able to track it! For such an initially headstrong, physical Avatar, she sure had connected a lot with her spiritual side over these last couple of years… it was really starting to pay off, lately.

With Naga in tow close behind, Korra and the two brothers made their way silently through the city streets, Korra taking in just how bad Dragon Flats actually was right now while Mako and Bolin were more concerned with the people watching nervously from behind window curtains and in dark alleyways, some of them looking almost relieved to see Korra back in town while others just looked on suspiciously. If any of them were troublemakers, the mere presence of Korra seemed to be keeping them in check – they knew who she was. The three of them remained silent for a good portion of their walk, Mako eventually sinking his hands back into his pockets while Bolin continued to look around nervously.

The Earthbender made a mental note to himself – there were no spirits around here, either. It almost seemed as though they’d run away, just like they had near Wang Ping and Li Li’s house. He was going to make a note of it to Korra, but the look on her face told him she’d already picked up on it. Something was very, very wrong here, and she could feel it. It was almost as if something was disrupting the natural energy of the place, something inherently _un_ natural, but not in a technological sense. Rather, in the sense of something that did not by any stretch of the imagination belong in this world. Something… inhuman.

“Sooo… you and Asami, huh?” Mako asked, finally deciding to break the silence that he’d previously perceived as awkward. Though, he kind of wished he hadn’t almost immediately after as Korra just shook her head. Maybe he should’ve just let that one be.

“Don’t even think about it.” She warned, Mako’s face snapping into an expression of red-tinted shock.

“What? No! I’m not! I’m just… really? You two? I never would’ve seen that coming.” He defended, looking away, eying the people eying them as he did. Even if he was a little flustered, he couldn’t afford to let his guard down, not out here.

“Well, it’s not like it was some big secret, you and your brother are just dense. Pema and Ikki figured it out ages ago.” Korra shrugged, conveniently neglecting to mention her own density on the matter over the years. Mako’s expression sunk slightly. A genius detective he was not, at least in affairs of the heart. “Anyway, do you know which street exactly? I’m still not really sure where I’m g–” Korra froze, Naga immediately going into a defensive position, growling and stopping right beside her, catching the bending brothers off guard, the two of them almost bumping into Korra and her pet.

“…? Korra?” Mako asked. Her eyes were wide and the expression on her face was one most closely approximated to horror, and peering over her shoulder from behind her, Mako almost immediately understood why, his face taking on a similar expression when he saw what she was looking at, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face. “…Oh no.” Lying sprawled out in the street were the shriveled and mutilated corpses of three people – three _cops_ – and a police cruiser that looked as though it’d been thrown into a trash compactor; ripped in two and then crushed. The ground below had been cracked and broken in places and windows and nearby merchant stands were shattered all around. From what Mako could tell, it looked as though they’d put up a fight with their Earthbending, using the city streets as their weapon, but to no avail.

“…Oh… oh spirits… Lin is not… oh no…” Bolin stuttered when he saw what Korra and Mako were looking at, almost immediately covering his eyes and looking away. He was really beginning to hate this case, this was absolutely horrible. He felt like he was going to be sick again, trying his hardest not to think too hard about whatever had happened out here.

“This…” Korra wasn’t really sure what to say. The sight of the bodies and the car were horrible enough – she had _never_ seen anything like this before, and she never wanted to again – but that feeling… that was… “…Energybending…” Korra muttered. Mako and Bolin glanced at each other, unsure of what she meant exactly, and then back to Korra, trying not to focus too hard on the bodies. But Korra couldn’t help but keep staring, unblinking, her gaze affixed to the hell in front of her. What the hell would do this?

“…Energybending? You mean like what you did to give everybody’s bending back after Amon took it from them?” Mako asked. Korra closed her eyes and swallowed, trying not to cry, taking in a deep breath and trying to compose herself instead.

“Yes. When Avatar Aang gave me the ability to use it, I had asked Tenzin about it, about what it was and how Aang had learned it. Then when I learned about Avatar Wan back during Harmonic Convergence, I think I began to understand it a little better.” She began, opening her eyes and turning around. She’d seen enough of that for one lifetime. She looked instead at the two brothers now, still clearly a little shocked. Bolin gave a concerned look, but let her continue.

“He told me that Aang told him he’d met with the last lion turtle before he faced off against Fire Lord Ozai, desperate for a way to end the Hundred Year War without having to take a life. The lion turtle then briefly explained to him that in the time before the Avatar, they and the people of the world bent the energy within themselves, not the elements. During my visions of Avatar Wan’s life, I got a better understanding of what that meant. Bending is basically just another way of using chi, and it was initially taught to us by the lion turtles, who used Energybending to change something inside of select humans so that they could use their chi to command the elements, to defend themselves from spirits and other dangers when looking for food in the Spirit Wilds.” Well, Mako and Bolin were more-or-less with her so far. They still didn’t really see what that had to do with anything right now, though.

“…So somebody took their bending away and killed them?” Bolin asked, confused at what she was trying to get at.

“No. It’s more like somebody took their bending away, and then just kept taking. They didn’t stop.” Korra responded gravely. “I know this feeling. Every time I used that power to restore somebody’s bending, I felt it. The rush of spiritual energy, the potency of the chi, the heavy feeling that it left in the air – I was probably the only one who really noticed any of it. But it did not feel like a power that came from this world. It was the power of the Avatar – the power of a spirit – through and through. I don’t know how or where the lion turtles got it from. I would assume they watched the spirits and learned the art in the same way we watch animals and learn how to bend the elements, but this… this is the same feeling. Whatever did this…” Korra gulped.

“…You were right, Mako. I don’t think this is human at all. It’s one thing to manipulate somebody else’s chi, but to take it? You’d die the instant you tried to absorb it into your body.” Unless, of course, you happened to be the Avatar. The only reason that Korra could bend all four elements was because of Raava being bonded to her. To say that Korra held the power would be only half right. The knowledge and the ability was stored in Raava, an extraordinarily powerful spirit who was more than capable of containing that much power on top of her own. The Avatar’s job was to gain access to this power by mastering the four bending arts and drawing out its full potential to do what no one bender could do and help bring balance to the world as Raava’s emissary – Raava’s avatar.

The only person who could conceivably steal another person’s chi as their own would be her, provided she loaded it into Raava for storage. She imagined that that was how the spirits of past Avatars used to be carried on through the generations, so that each new Avatar in the cycle could contact an Avatar before them; that Raava took pieces of their chi and their spirit and stored it inside of herself so that they could be contacted again at a later time. There was nobody else like that in the world, except for maybe Unalaq, but she’d taken care of him years ago. In her mind, the only possibility was that this was a spirit. The degree to which these bodies had been drained combined with the potency of what she felt in the air left no other choice.

“But wait – if this is just Energybending, wouldn’t that mean a human could be doing it after all?” Bolin asked. After all, Aang and Korra were humans and they could Energybend.

“Don’t you remember what I told the Chief yesterday?” Mako asked. “Korra and Aang are Avatars, they aren’t exactly human. They’re more like half human, half spirit. I don’t think an ordinary person could learn this sort of an ability.” He explained, the younger brother remembering now. Right, right, he’d forgotten about that.

“But still, why would a spirit be doing this? Don’t they usually just mind their own business or attack when we make them angry somehow? And even then, they usually disappear people, not kill them.” Well, Bolin wasn’t wrong. Korra wasn’t sure why a spirit would be doing this, either, but… this feeling… this residual energy… more than just the power of Energybending, she could feel traces of spiritual power, as well. The kind you only felt from the spirits themselves after they’d left an area. She was 100% certain: _this was not human_.

“So even Republic City isn’t safe…” Surprised, Mako, Bolin and Naga all immediately turned around while Korra tilted her head, an old man dropping the paper bags of semi-fresh produce he was holding in his hands, his body visibly shaking. He’d just been taking a nice walk back from the market – this was the last thing he expected to run into. “I can’t get away… it’s coming back for me…” He panicked, his shaking growing even more intense. Korra looked over at Bolin, the two of them sharing a worried glance. “Coming back for him”?

“…What’s coming back for you?” Korra asked, stepping forward and placing her hand on the old man’s shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. But he just continued to panic, feeling as though he were about to have a heart attack.

“It’s back… it’s here too… I thought it was gone… I thought it was…” He seemed to be completely unresponsive, unaware that Korra was even there.

“Sir, what’s wrong? What’s back? What did you think was gone?” The old man raised his head shakily, looking Korra directly in the eyes, his dark brown ones welling up with tears, petrified by the sight of the three bodies in the street. Just looking into them, Korra knew – he’d seen this before. “…You know what did this.” The older civilian nodded silently. “…My name is Korra. I’m the Avatar. I think that this may be some sort of spirit, and I’m trying to track it down. Can you tell me what you know about this?”

“The Avatar…?” The old man asked. Now that she mentioned it, she did look slightly familiar, but he wasn’t sure. But it didn’t matter. If she really was the Avatar, then maybe… just maybe… taking a deep breath, he grabbed hold of Korra’s shoulders, the look in his eyes changing as he spoke, becoming infinitely more serious. “The Chi Eater.” Mako and Bolin just looked at each other – they’d never heard of it. Korra narrowed her eyes.

“The Chi Eater?” She asked, confirming the name.

“Yes… I thought it was just isolated to my village… I never in a thousand years would have thought…” He continued, not daring to look over at the corpses again. They reminded him of too much. “…50 years ago, when I was a young man… my village, on the eastern shores of the Earth Kingdom, was being terrorized by a monster. It attacked our people for over a month… it killed them, turning them into empty husks, devoid of life and chi… we reached out to Avatar Aang for help, but by the time word got out to him and he had arrived, it was too late. The killings had stopped, and the monster was gone. There was nothing he could do but tell us that whatever attacked us was not human… he thought we may have angered the spirits. Our village was still recovering from the after effects of the war, as was our land. He tried to help us get back on our feet, hoping it would stop it from coming back. It never did, but… I had lost too many people I knew to that… thing. I couldn’t stay. So I moved to the city the Avatar had created. I thought I would be safe here…” He explained.

Korra thought for a moment. Aang had dealt with this thing before, too? And it wasn’t isolated to just Republic City… if this was a spirit, why would it be traveling like that? Normally, spirits are attached to certain areas of the land, or objects, or sometimes even buildings or people. But she’d never heard of a spirit traveling and killing people before. The old man continued. “…We came to call it the Chi Eater, because of what it did… Avatar Aang called it an angry spirit, but I knew… I always knew it was more than that… this is no spirit…” Korra raised an eyebrow. What was it then? “…This is just a monster.” He concluded, turning his head away, feeling as though he was about to cry. All these years, he thought he was safe. But now it was here, too. “It’s come back for me… it already took away my wife and children, it wants to finish what it started… it’s angry…” He lamented.

Korra wasn’t sure what to say. This was unlike anything she’d ever encountered before. She wanted to tell him he would be fine, but… she honestly couldn’t say that for sure. She had no idea what this was. It felt like a spirit, but… “…I’m not going to let that happen.” She finally said. “Avatar Aang didn’t know the whole story. He wasn’t around while the attacks were happening, and he had no idea that it traveled like this. Spirits don’t like to move from their chosen sacred spots, they usually hold some deep significance to them or their origins are somehow intertwined.” Korra explained. “Whatever this is, I know about it now, so now, I’m going stop it. You can count on me.” The elderly gentleman nodded. Spirits knew there was nothing _he_ could do.

Korra crouched down, picking up the man’s bags of groceries and handing them back to him, offering to walk him home. He nodded, feeling much safer with the Avatar at his side. “Thank you, Avatar.” Korra just smiled, glancing behind her and motioning for Mako, Bolin and Naga to follow, which they did. “Please… don’t let it rip this city apart, too. By the time it was through with my village, 12 people had died… don’t let this get that far…” He warned. Korra nodded. Looked like she had her work cut out for her.

“I won’t, I promise. And you can just call me Korra.” She replied, smiling. Walking the man the remaining three blocks to his home, as she saw him inside and he closed and locked the door, she let loose a sigh, rubbing her head and turning to Mako and Bolin, Naga sensing her frustration and nudging her head under the girl’s left arm with a whine, hoping to help calm her down. She smiled, thanking the polar bear dog for her concern.

“I hate it when you’re right, you know that? Why can’t you ever be right about good things?” Bolin complained to Mako, trying to lighten up the mood to no avail. Seeing his and Korra’s still grave faces, Bolin frowned. Maybe now wasn’t the best time.

“What are we going to do?” Mako asked. He was at a loss. An Energybending monster, traveling the country killing people for over 50 years? This was even worse than he thought, and the mention of a 12 person death toll just made him even more anxious. It had already killed 5 people in the span of a couple of days – was it really going to be killing 7 more? Or would the death toll be even higher? This wasn’t some small village on the coast, this was a sprawling metropolis, rife with prey. If Mako wasn’t worried before, he certainly was now.

“I don’t know. I’ve never even _heard_ of anything like this before. First things first, we need to go tell Lin about the three cops we found… she isn’t going to be happy about this.” Korra lamented. Mako sighed. She was probably going to blame herself. She could be a bit of a hard-ass, but Lin DID care about her men. She wasn’t going to take this sitting down. “After that, I’m going to go see Tenzin. Maybe he’ll have some ideas as to what’s going on.” Mako nodded. For now, that would probably be the best course of action. He hated this. This… powerlessness. Even with the Avatar, they were just getting more questions than actual answers. Every time they took one step forward, they took two steps back to counter it. To call it frustrating would be understating it.

“Don’t worry too much about it, bro. I know things seem bad right now, but at least now we have a better idea of what we’re dealing with. And Korra’s on the case with us! We’ll have this thing sorted out in no time!” Bolin exclaimed, patting his older brother on the back, trying to boost his morale. They weren’t going to be making _any_ progress if they just gave up and whined about it. While he couldn’t be as confident as his brother, Mako smiled in response nonetheless. He knew his brother was right. But still, he just couldn’t help but get a bad feeling about all of this. Could you really blame him?

“Well, let’s get back on Naga and head over to the precinct. The new building’s in the expanded Eastern District.” Mako replied. They had a lot to fill the Chief in on. If this thing was going to kill more people, then they had no time to waste.

“Right. Let’s go.” Korra said, motioning for Naga to stand up, the large white dog ready to take them wherever it was they needed to go.

***** *** *** *** *****

Lin smashed her fist into a nearby wall, nearly punching a hole right through it, large cracks emanating from the impact site as the room momentarily shook, Bolin wincing while Mako and Korra stood their ground, a defeated look on their faces. “How could this happen… did you get their names?” She asked. Mako shook his head silently, the chief of police letting loose a sigh, sitting back down behind her desk. She should’ve known better. She should’ve just listened to Mako in the first place, that this thing wasn’t human. Now, she was down three officers and had some really difficult visits to make to the victims’ families. This part of the job never got easier, no matter how many years it’s been.

“…They were killed in the exact same manner as Kazuo and the unidentified body downstairs. We won’t have much to go on until Dr. Lou rehydrates them, but we can probably crosscheck missing officers with the names of those assigned to the area tonight. I’m sorry. Whatever happened, by the time we got there, it was…” Mako trailed off. He wasn’t really sure what to say.

“I should’ve known better. I just sent three men to their deaths against an enemy we know next to nothing about. What was I even thinking?” She asked. Korra had never really seen Lin like this before. She wasn’t sure if it was just because of the three officers, or because of everything going on with the city lately, or all the unknowns about whatever it was that was behind this, or some mixture of the three. But whatever it was, she was different. She looked like she was at the end of her rope, like she was about to break. Just how much had she been taking onto herself since Kuvira’s attack?

“Chief, you can’t blame yourself. You were just doing what you thought you had to in order to try and keep the citizens safe. You couldn’t have known this would happen.” Mako reassured. Lin already knew that, and it certainly wasn’t what she really wanted to hear right now, but Mako was right. She knew he was right. But that wasn’t to say she wasn’t still pissed off that this happened and even more pissed off that it was her fault directly. She was the one who increased patrols. She just never expected that they would be targeted directly. This “Chi Eater” had balls of platinum.

“I know now.” She spoke up, catching Mako’s attention. “And now that I know, I’m not going to stop until we put this thing in the ground. Spirit, monster, human, it’s all the same. This city and this police force is my family, and if you attack _my_ family, you are going to pay the price.” There was nothing to be gained from wallowing in regret and self pity. Now was the time for action. They finally had their first substantial lead on this case – a name and a behavioral pattern.

“Whatever this thing is, we know it’s nomadic. It’s attacked at least two different places in the last 50 years. This tells us that it’s old – if it’s not a spirit, it might be something closely related to them. We also know that it doesn’t differentiate between victims. Both the first victim, Two-Faced Kazuo, and these three cops were extraordinarily high risk for it to take on. They were benders, and powerful ones, at that. If we combine this with the understanding that it’s using some form of Energybending to absorb the chi of others, then it might be safe to assume that it will primarily be targeting benders due to our high levels of chi as compared to the rest of the population. This thing is smart, and strong. It made it out of at least two fights without sustaining any major harm or leaving any traces behind and it cut a police cruiser clean in two. We cannot afford to underestimate it again.” Lin explained, going over everything they knew about the Chi Eater and drawing the best conclusions she could from the information available.

“But there’s one thing I don’t get.” Bolin spoke up, everyone in the room immediately looking in his direction. Normally, that’d catch him off guard, but this time he appeared to be deep in thought, holding his chin with his thumb and index finger. “The hand print.” Korra raised an eyebrow.

“Hand print? What hand print?” She asked.

“Two-Faced Kazuo and the unidentified victim downstairs both had minor discolorations in their facial area. Bolin picked up on it when we first looked at Kazuo’s corpse.” Mako explained, catching Korra up to speed. “When the bodies are rehydrated, the discolorations become a bit more pronounced and look like a distorted hand print. They almost look like they’ve been burned into the skin, but Dr. Lou, our medical examiner, says that if they are, it’s not from Firebending or anything else that he’s aware of. He’s at a loss as to what caused them.”

“Exactly. If this thing isn’t a human, why would it be leaving hand prints behind? How many human-shaped spirits are out there?” Bolin asked.

“More than you might think, actually.” Korra replied. “I saw a lot of different spirits during my time in the Spirit World, and some of them do have very human or ape-like hands. It’s not a stretch to assume that it may be one such spirit. Spirits also have the ability to change their shape. Back when I was wandering the world for 6 months trying to find myself, a spirit came to me in the form of a little dog and led me to Lin’s mom, Toph. So this thing could be taking on the appearance of a human in order to try and blend in. If it’s only interested in killing for whatever reason, then it might make sense.” The Avatar explained. This only concerned Lin further.

“That would mean this thing is a _lot_ more dangerous than we thought and that all of this is premeditated – it knows _exactly_ what it’s doing. If its only purpose is to kill then that means it’s going to be next to impossible to stop it. We have to find this thing and take it down before it eats the chi of the entire city.” What Mako had told her about it killing 12 people before moving on 50 years ago worried her. If that was indicative of some sort of a pattern, then this was only just beginning.

“But if it’s hiding its true form as a person, then how are we going to find it?” Mako asked. It was bad enough they still didn’t really know what kind of a spirit or similar creature this thing was, but now it could shapeshift? Seriously, how much worse could things get? He could feel another surge of pain coming from his left arm. Maybe Bolin was right, maybe he should have Korra check it out later. That thing was really starting to bother him, lately…

“Leave that to me.” Korra replied. “Even if it’s taking on a human form, I should be able to sense its spiritual presence if I know to look for it. But that’s the problem. I’m going to have to constantly be on alert, and we still have no idea how to find this thing. By the time we left Dragon Flats, the horrible presence I’d been feeling was already starting to dissipate, meaning it doesn’t last long and what we stumbled onto was really fresh. Until we know how this thing selects its victims and where it’s hiding out, finding it is going to be next to impossible.”

“Well, we know it seems to be isolated to the Flats, at least for now. All 5 of its victims so far have been from or in that area, meaning Lin was on the right track in sending out extra patrols. I think we should focus on searching there for a while, starting tomorrow.” Mako suggested. Korra supposed it wasn’t a bad idea. She couldn’t really come up with much else. “We can’t count on it staying there forever, but it’s the best chance we’ve got right now of finding it.” Lin nodded.

“In the meantime, tonight, we’ll do our homework. Korra, you go see Tenzin, ask him about this “Chi Eater” and if Aang ever talked to him about it. See if you can’t get any ideas out of him. Mako, Bolin, I’m going to need you two to work overtime tonight. You two are going to help me call in some favors and search through some old records. Somehow I get the feeling that Republic City and some random Earth Territories village aren’t the only places it’s popped up in the past 50 years.”

“Yes ma’am!” Mako and Bolin saluted, while Korra simply nodded in response, hugging Mako and Bolin before leaving to go find Tenzin.

“I’m sorry, guys. I was really hoping things would stay calm for a while and that we could just hang out again like we used to.” She apologized. Today had been a lot more eventful than she’d been hoping. Maybe her good vibes from the other night weren’t so good, after all.

“Don’t worry about it. We can relax once we put a stop to this thing. But until then… I’ve got your back. For real, this time.” Mako assured, smiling. Korra smiled back, nodding, happy to have the Mako she knew back. With that, she walked out the door, running for the incomplete stairwell to make it downstairs as fast as she could, heading out the door to hop back onto Naga’s back and get back to Air Temple Island as fast as possible. Meanwhile, Mako and Bolin returned to their desk, receiving instructions from their Chief as to who to call and what to ask for – some of the places they were calling weren’t even in the old Earth Kingdom territories. When they asked why, all Lin would say was that she “had a hunch”, leaving it at that.

Well, whatever the case, one thing was sure – these four sure had their work cut out for them tonight.

***** *** *** *** *****

Just as she’d left it almost an hour prior, Korra returned to Air Temple Island swimming directly through Yue Bay with Naga, boosting her speed and alleviating some of the work for the large polar bear dog with her Waterbending, foregoing the dock in favor of swimming straight onto the shore. Once the dog’s paws hit the sandy beach, she immediately launched herself off of her back, apologizing to Naga for running her around so much tonight before running off herself, hopping up the steps with an Airbending boost and running straight for Pema and Tenzin’s room.

Though it was still rather early in the evening, she figured that he’d have retired there by now to catch up on any paperwork in regards to the recent activities of the Air Nation around Republic City during their reconstruction and relief efforts. Though she raised a few eyebrows from Air Acolytes that she’d passed by in her mad dash for the Airbending Master’s room, upon seeing the look on her face as she sped through the island, none dared stop her or ask her what she was doing back so soon. It was pretty clear that something bad had happened – really bad.

Zipping through the halls, she slid to a stop just outside of the bedroom door, frantically sliding it open only to find the room completely empty. She cursed beneath her breath, sighing in frustration, trying to think of where else he might be right about now when she suddenly felt a familiar presence appear to her left, the voice of the man she was looking for questioning why she was here.

“…Korra? What are you doing back so soon? Is something wrong?” Tenzin asked, shocked to see the Water Tribe girl back so soon after departing. He’d _just_ gotten Oogi back from the Air Acolytes, who’d made mention of how Korra had taken off with Mako and Bolin and Asami had returned to her Estate alone, something about the two of them needing her help with a case they were working on, something the Acolytes didn’t have any details on. But, given the look on her face and how heavily she was panting, clearly, something must have happened.

“Tenzin, thank the spirits, I was looking for you.” Korra began, still trying to catch her breath, now leaning onto the frame of his bedroom doorway for support. “Something bad has happened. Really, _really_ bad.” She explained. The look on Tenzin’s face immediately shifted from one of concern to dire seriousness, motioning for Korra to enter his room and sit down at the chair in front of his desk in order to explain what was going on.

“Tell me what happened.” He requested after she’d finally regained her breath, the blue-eyed girl immediately complying, telling Tenzin what Mako, Bolin and the old man she’d encountered in Dragon Flats had told her, and what she’d seen. She told him about the murders, the so-called “Chi Eater”, the way the bodies appeared after it attacked, and how his father, Avatar Aang, had encountered a village it’d terrorized on the opposite side of the Earth Territories almost 50 years ago.

“Aang chalked it up to an angry spirit at the time, thinking that because of how badly the land had been polluted and devastated during the war that the spirits were lashing out. I guess he thought they were becoming so violent because it’d been so long since the war had ended, and the land still wasn’t back to how it should’ve been. But I don’t think it’s a spirit. Spirits don’t usually kill people, and they definitely don’t travel to the other side of a country to do it. I have no idea what this is. I was hoping Aang told you something, anything about it, or if you’ve ever heard of anything like this before? The last time this thing showed up, it killed 12 people and then disappeared without a trace, and it’s already taken the lives of 5 in Republic City. I _need_ to stop it.” She frantically explained.

The look on Tenzin’s face was grim. This _was_ really bad. As if the reconstruction efforts and the Triad interference wasn’t enough… this just wasn’t Republic City’s year, or Korra’s. The poor girl had just gotten back and she’d already been thrust into such a dire situation again. But, unfortunately, this time, Tenzin couldn’t be of much use. “…I’m sorry, Korra, my father never mentioned it before. I’ve never heard of this “Chi Eater” or anything quite like it.” Korra let out a defeated sigh. All that running, and for nothing…

“However, I do agree with you that this does not sound like a spirit. I have no idea what sort of creature would have the ability to Energybend, let alone to such a devastating degree, but a spirit wouldn’t travel to two separate places on opposite shores. Then again, the two cases could be unrelated. Perhaps they’re two separate spirits entirely, one angered by its devastated land, like my father supposed, while this one has been angered by what Kuvira did to Republic City with that weapon of hers. But that almost seems like even more of a stretch.” Korra agreed. While she had to admit that it _was_ possible, it also seemed extremely unlikely. The way that man reacted… he’d seen this before. _Exactly_ this. They had to be related.

“Well… there was something else.” Korra mentioned, piquing Tenzin’s interest. “When I was walking through Dragon Flats, I noticed something strange – there were no spirits. Anywhere.” Tenzin remained silent. “Ever since Harmonic Convergence, Republic City has been crawling with spirits, especially in the old Downtown area. Dragon Flats may be on the very edge of it, but it wasn’t exempt. Even before the Spirit Portal opened up in the middle of the city, I always heard that there were a lot in that area, so I’d have thought there’d be twice as many now. But I couldn’t see or feel any. It was almost as if they’d run away, like they had when Kuvira attacked.”

“…You’re right, that is strange.” Tenzin agreed, stroking his beard in thought. “I can’t imagine why they’d run, spirits don’t have much to fear from ordinary threats. Whatever this is must be quite unusual if it has even them on edge.”

“Do you think they’d run away if they sensed the presence of a dark spirit? Like Vaatu, or any of the ones he corrupted during Harmonic Convergence?” Korra inquired. Vaatu was gone, but… who was to say there weren’t more spirits like him? Spirits that craved death, and destruction. There were countless different types of people. Who was to say the same didn’t go for spirits?

“I think they might, yes… but would that really fit the circumstances? Vaatu is long gone, at least for another 10,000 years. I don’t think his influence would still be extending to our world today, let alone 50 years ago.” Tenzin explained.

“Maybe not, but maybe there are more spirits like him out there. Maybe this is one of them.” Korra theorized. Tenzin was unsure. Vaatu was a special case, from what he understood, a primordial spirit and the antithesis to Raava’s creative power, the Yin to her Yang. That there would be another spirit so bent on destruction seemed odd to him, especially not without an antithetical partner, but he couldn’t discount the possibility. Not completely.

“I don’t know, I suppose it’s always possible… I’ll tell you what, I’ll go through some old books and scrolls that my father and the Air Nomads had collected and put together on spirits over the years and see if I can’t find anything in there. Perhaps I can find something more on Energybending, at the very least.” Korra nodded. It was better than nothing, she supposed.

“Thank you, Tenzin.” She replied, giving the Airbending Master a hug. He couldn’t help but remain concerned. This did not bode well for Republic City at all.

“Of course. In the meantime, I think you should get back to Asami’s place and get some rest. You look like you need it.” Tenzin suggested, referring to the girl’s rather disheveled hair and clothes and the drained look in her eyes, something which was becoming more and more apparent the longer she talked. Today had been exhausting in almost every conceivable way, and she didn’t really get much sleep during the tail end of her trip from the South Pole last night. You know, because she was excited to be returning to Republic City and everything. So to say she was tired right now was really understating it, especially after that mad dash across the island she just did. But after what she just saw back in Dragon Flats… how could she just go home?

Korra quickly recomposed herself, closing her eyes and flashing Tenzin her best fake smile, hoping to mask the true extent of her exhaustion. “I think I’ve gotten enough rest these past two months.” She began, opening her eyes as she continued, looking a touch more energetic and determined than before. “Besides, somebody needs to find this thing and put a stop to it before it kills again. With Lin, Mako and Bolin and you researching it, I should be out there, in the city, chasing this “Chi Eater” down until you guys come up with something. At the very least, maybe I can push it back into hiding if it tries to steal another person’s chi.” She stubbornly replied. Tenzin could see right through her energetic facade, but Korra didn’t really seem to care. It didn’t matter how tired she was – she had to do this. She just had to.

“Korra, I don’t think you should be going at this alone right now. You just got back to Republic City and you’ve been running around all day, you’ve hardly had time to readjust. I can tell you’re exhausted. Just let me and everybody else see what we can’t dig up for tonight and then we can all go at this with fresh eyes together tomorrow. Perhaps we’ll find something that’ll make it easier to track this thing down.” Korra knew that Tenzin had a point, but she just felt… _wrong_ to not be doing anything. She was the Avatar. This – keeping balance between humans and spirits, assuming this was a spirit – was her job. How could she just ignore it and leave it to other people, even if it was only for one night? Though Tenzin had called her bluff, she refused to lose her composure, attempting to come off as alert and wide awake.

“Then at least let me help you look through your father’s collection, maybe–” However, Tenzin wasn’t having any of it.

“Go. Settle in with Asami, get some rest. You don’t have to carry the load alone all the time, Korra.” The Water Tribe girl let out a defeated sigh. He really wasn’t going to let her do anything, was he? Honestly, arguing with him was just tiring her out even more. Maybe he was right. Maybe she _should_ rest. If just this was enough to tire her out, then maybe it _would_ be a bad idea to go looking for the Chi Eater right now.

“Fine. I don’t really like it, but… maybe you’re right. I just… I was so close, you know? It had _just_ attacked. If Mako, Bolin and I had gotten there just a few minutes sooner, then maybe we could’ve…” Korra gave up part way through what she was saying, frustrated by the thought. “It just doesn’t sit right with me, seeing what I saw and being that close, just to let it run off and hide.” She stated bitterly.

“It already did that by the time you three got there. There was nothing you could’ve done, and you’re just going to get yourself hurt if you go out there looking for it now.” Tenzin warned. Hurt, or worse. Republic City needed its Avatar right now, yes, but it also needed its Avatar _alive_ and at 100%, and right now, she wasn’t the latter, and if she rushed headfirst into this, she might not be the former anymore, either. As frustrated as she was by this whole thing, that wasn’t her anymore. She knew that she was better off stepping back and gathering some information first. She just wished there was something more that she could do in the meantime.

“I know, you’re right. I’ll just go swing by the estate and sleep on it, I guess.” Korra said in defeat. “Thank you for helping out, though. Really. I feel like I’m going to need a lot of it with this one.” She smiled weakly, still struggling to maintain her ‘awake’ facade. Tenzin simply nodded, smiling back. Korra never was one to let others see her vulnerable.

“Of course. Do you want to stay on the island for the night? I could always put you back in your old room until tomorrow if you want.” He offered. Korra shook her head. It _would_ be easier, but…

“No, Asami’s probably waiting for me. Besides, Naga will be doing most of the walking, I think the two of us can make it back to the Sato Estate. But thanks for offering.” Korra hugged the Airbending Master one more time, saying her goodbyes and walking out the door and back toward the beach immediately afterward. She really hated when that man was right, sometimes. Defeated, she climbed back onto Naga’s back, directing her to take them to Asami’s mansion and dipping back into the bay one more time as they made their way over to Korra’s new home.

***** *** *** *** *****

Having now made it to the Sato Estate, Korra and Naga slowly but surely made it up the many stairways situated outside and around the mansion, growing more and more exhausted with each passing step. Naga had carried her master on her back up the first flight, but by the time they’d reached the second and third leading up to the mansion’s front door, she was about ready to throw Korra off her back herself if she hadn’t willingly dismounted, apologizing once again for working her old friend so hard today. This was just too much. Who the hell actually thought this was a good design idea?

I mean, yeah, it looked cool, but it certainly didn’t _feel_ cool to walk up on ~2 hours of sleep. By this point, she was seriously considering bringing up the possibility of installing an elevator or something to Asami, _anything_ in favor of the multiple staircases ascending almost three stories before you even made it to the front door. Not exactly the most welcome way to get back home if you happened to be exhausted from running around town all day holding press conferences, reconnecting with friends and family, getting into fights with ex-boyfriends and accidentally stumbling onto fresh crime scenes like Korra was. Just another day in the life of the Avatar.

Dragging themselves up the last flight with what little energy they had left, finally, they made it to the front door, Korra tiredly walking through first with Naga following close behind, the two of them finding themselves greeted almost immediately by one of Asami’s servants – the same butler who was working there almost 4 years ago, when she’d first visited this place with Mako and Bolin. Seemed that not much had changed around here since she’d last swung by… everything was still exactly the way she remembered it, from the paintings on the wall to the staff walking the halls.

“Ah, Avatar Korra, Ms. Naga, Ms. Sato has been expecting you. She is currently in the master bedroom on the second floor, finding space for your things. I am sure she will be delighted to see you.” Korra groaned. Great. More stairs. She didn’t expect to have to hike the equivalent of Mt. Makapu _just_ to make it home. Maybe she’d recommend that elevator after all.

“Who ever thought this many staircases was a good idea? I’m exhausted.” She complained, hunching forward for a moment before picking herself back up, looking over to the large staircase situated in the middle of the room that led up to a balcony hall which wrapped all the way around the second story of the impressively sized foyer, a large number of doors leading to an equally large number of rooms and interior halls which snaked through the mansion’s less public areas. She more-or-less remembered where the master bedroom was located, the problem was just mustering up the remaining energy to get there.

“The downside to having your estate built atop a hill, I’m afraid.” The butler explained unnecessarily. Korra was just being facetious. Not that he didn’t pick up on that, but she was in no mood to even pretend to be annoyed at him right now – one more flight of stairs awaited her. “Oh, right, she also wanted me to let you know when you arrived that Ms. Naga may sleep in the master bedroom with you two. It is quite large, and a place has already been prepared by the bed for her comfort.” Asami had thought of everything, it seemed. It was still an odd thought to Korra though, the thought of ‘theirs’. ‘Their’ mansion, ‘their’ room, ‘their’ relationship – even now, it was still so fresh and exciting to her, so new. But, she couldn’t say she didn’t like it.

“Thank you. The master bedroom is in the center of the house, right? In one of the connecting halls on the second floor?” She asked, wanting to confirm her suspicions as to not get lost, something that was quite easy to do in such a large building. She was pretty sure she wasn’t wrong, but it had still been a while since she’d been here. The butler nodded in response, Korra thanking him for the confirmation before she and Naga begrudgingly scaled one more flight of stairs, walking through the first door to the right of the top of stairway and finding themselves in the first of the many halls of the Sato Estate.

For this middle part of the mansion, the second floor was essentially set up in a double, almost ‘H’ shape, with two long halls running down the building to the right and left and then two smaller halls cutting through the middle and connecting them. The first connecting hall, close to the two doors leading back to the foyer, was near to where the lady’s powder room and Hiroshi’s old home office was located, which was now Asami’s. Meanwhile, the second connecting hall, further down and closer to the center of the mansion, was where the master bedroom and its adjoining bathroom were located.

As Korra and Naga made their way down the lavishly decorated halls to their destination, Korra took a moment to marvel at the large, mahogany doors to the bedroom in front of her, almost smirking at the ostentatiousness of it all. Hiroshi sure did have a thing for showing off, didn’t he? Korra was going to be living in the lap of luxury from now on. Pulling the large, wooden doors open, as they walked into the room, the two of them found Asami currently placing the last of Korra’s belongings onto a shelf by the bed, clearly surprised to see her here so soon.

“Korra? Hey, I didn’t think you’d be here until later.” Asami began, walking to meet her new fiancee in the middle of the large bedroom while Naga headed straight for the bed that’d been prepared for her in the top left corner of the room by the bed, collapsing straight down with an overworked sigh as soon as she’d stepped onto the cushion. It’d been a long day for just about everybody. Korra flashed the green-eyed girl a weak smile in response, but as she walked past, it quickly faded, prompting Asami to raise an eyebrow. She looked a little upset. “Is everything alright?” She asked, knowing from the look in her fiancee’s eyes that they weren’t. Still, she wasn’t going to pry if Korra didn’t want her to. She may have found it easier to be open about how she was feeling when she was around Asami, but that didn’t always mean that she wanted to talk. Still, she’d always lend the invitation, just in case.

“No, not really.” The young Avatar sighed, the engineer giving her a concerned frown as Korra collapsed onto the large, king sized bed situated in the back of the room, falling initially face first into the welcomingly soft mattress before rolling over onto her back, the look on her face becoming more openly discouraged as she did. This was about more than just some physical tiredness and an unholy number of stairwells.

“Three people died tonight. Cops. Some _thing_ attacked them and turned them into these… these… mummy-like shells. Literally everything had been drained out of them, _minutes_ before Mako, Bolin and I got there. We never even made it to the crime scene we were trying to get to in the first place. And now, instead of trying to chase after it, I’m being told to just sit here, get some rest and do nothing for a night while everybody else buries themselves in books and scrolls trying to figure out what it is. I should be out there trying to find this thing and stopping it, not laying here barely able to keep my eyes open.” She vented, grunting in frustration at her body’s limitations. It was bad enough that she’d spent over two months more-or-less just goofing off in the Spirit World, but her lack of sleep these past couple of days were really starting to catch up to her, especially after all that running and climbing.

Asami’s frown grew deeper as she took a seat onto the bed next to Korra, the blue-eyed girl just lying there, staring up at the ceiling. As Asami gently grabbed hold of her hand in a show of loving support, she turned, facing the industrialist. Again, she smiled weakly, completely exhausted and finally feeling at home enough to really show it. She looked like she was running on empty. “I’m sorry you had to see that, it sounds horrible… but there’s no shame in taking care of yourself. You told Mako the same thing, didn’t you?” Asami asked. Well, maybe not in those words, but Korra supposed she’d mentioned it… “It’s been an eventful couple of days, neither of us have really gotten much sleep. Between coming back from the Spirit World, to the excitement of our betrothal, to everything we went through today, I’d be surprised if you _weren’t_ completely exhausted right now.” She said.

“I’m the Avatar. Times like these, I don’t really have the luxury of being exhausted.” Korra sighed. “Apparently, this thing has struck before, 50 years ago on the other side of the Earth Territories… Avatar Aang looked into it back then, but by the time he showed up it was too late. It had already killed 12 people and disappeared, and apparently, it’s already killed 5 in Republic City in the span of a couple of days, including the three officers we just found tonight. They call it the “Chi Eater”. What it did to those cops… its presence… I honestly have no idea what I’m up against right now.” She laughed, as if she were amused by her own frustration. She tightened her grip on Asami’s hand, catching the girl’s attention. Korra was clearly upset, maybe even a little afraid. The last time she went up against a spirit, she lost her connection to over 10,000 years of Avatars and almost died. Whether or not this thing was an actual spirit or something else was irrelevant, almost everything about this had her on edge, and she had no idea what to do.

“Well, right now, the best thing you can do is just get some sleep. You’ve gotten, what, maybe 6 hours in the past 2 days? Let everybody else work through the night for a change. If things really are that bad, then it’ll be better if you go at it at 100%.” Asami replied, essentially repeating what Tenzin had told her earlier. Korra knew she was right – they were both right – but at the same time, if something else happened while she was asleep…

“I know. I just feel like I should be out there doing _something_. Anything. It’s frustrating, you know?” Asami glanced downward, tightening her own grip of her fiancee’s hand before falling backwards into the mattress right beside her, the two of them just lying there staring at the ceiling hand-in-hand, their legs hung limply over the side of the bed. Asami understood Korra’s frustration, but she shouldn’t push herself too hard. She needed sleep, too.

“I know. But for now, I think you’ve done all you _can_ do. I mean, you’ve got something to work off of now, right? A name? Just leave the rest to Mako and Bolin and whoever else is working on the case for tonight. I’m sure you’ll all come up with something tomorrow.” Asami reassured, turning her head so that she was now looking directly at her fiancee, her warm smile lessening the burden on Korra’s mind, just a little bit. Just enough. As if on reflex, she could feel the corners of her mouth turn ever so slightly upward in response. This girl, she swore – anytime she smiled, Korra really couldn’t help but follow suit, even just a little bit. It was like Asami’s ultimate weapon. Once she smiled, everything seemed just a little bit better than it was before.

“Yeah… I guess you’re right. Tenzin told me pretty much the same thing when I was asking him about it. Honestly, I’d probably be searching the city right now if he hadn’t insisted I come get some rest. I know the two of you are right, but… I’m not gonna lie. I’m a little scared. This feels different.” Asami rolled onto her side so that her whole body was now facing Korra, reaching up with her free hand to brush a lock of hair from the blue-eyed girl’s face, maintaining her smile.

“I’m sure everything will turn out fine. I believe in you.” She replied, bringing her hand to a rest by Korra’s ear, looking directly into her eyes. Korra simply nodded in response, smiling weakly, but genuinely.

“Thanks.” She replied, feeling a little less upset than before. “I really appreciate it.” It was good to know somebody always believed in her, at least. Times like these, Korra could really start questioning herself, sometimes. Having somebody so openly support her and willing to listen to her was a big help. Yawning, Korra kicked off her shoes and pulled her legs onto the bed, too tired to change out of her normal clothes and resigning herself to sleeping while fully dressed again. All this talk of people trying to convince her to sleep was just making her sleepier, so she might as well oblige. There really wasn’t anything else she could do tonight, anyway. It was a bit early in the evening, but given how much sleep she had to make up for, it didn’t really matter.

Dragging her way over to a pillow by the right side of the bed, as she did, Asami decided that she might as well follow suit and stay by Korra’s side for now, crawling over to the pillow on the left. She didn’t really have anything else to do tonight, and if she was being honest, she was pretty exhausted, too. Maybe not as exhausted as Korra, but still – the Avatar wasn’t the only one who hadn’t gotten much sleep in the last few days, even if what little they had gotten was some of the best they’d ever had. As Korra laid on her side, she drew her knees up halfway to her chest and left her arms half-unfurled in front of her, feeling her eyes growing heavy as Asami mimicked the position and remained facing her, grabbing hold of the darker skinned girl’s hands once she had, smiling.

Finally feeling herself begin to drift off, as she closed her eyes, Korra put the events of the evening to the back of her mind until she woke up tomorrow, intent on enjoying her first night together with Asami formally sharing a bed. It wasn’t just a bed, or Korra’s old bed back home, it was their bed. This wasn’t just Asami’s home anymore, it was Korra’s, too, now. They might not have been a full-fledged married couple yet, and maybe wouldn’t be for another few years, but as far as Korra was concerned, they might as well have been. Either way, though, this was definitely something she could get used to, and for the first time in almost 3 years, she was genuinely looking forward to the future. If this was how things were going to be from now on, then maybe everything would be alright after all.

***** *** *** *** *****

As sunlight filtered in from the skylight above and onto her face, Asami stirred, waking from her slumber to find herself the only remaining occupant in her bed. She could hear the sound of running water emanating from the master bathroom next door, a little bit of steam crawling out from under the door and into the bedroom. It seemed that Korra had woken up early today, seizing the opportunity to hop into the shower before Asami got up and likely hogged it all to herself for an indeterminate amount of time. Yawning and stretching out her arms above her head as she arose into a sitting position at the edge of the bed, as she draped her legs over the side and her feet grazed the floor, she could hear the water come to an abrupt stop, almost as though Korra knew that her fiancee had just woken up. Coincidence? Yeah, probably, but the timing made Asami smirk, anyway.

The clicking of small, taloned feet on glass and the muffled singing of birds came from above as the green-eyed girl gazed upward, a couple of blue jays having gathered onto her bedroom skylight, a relatively recent edition to her home that she’d added in order to help bring some natural light and energy into her room – something she’d been severely lacking before. Being an interior room, there weren’t really any windows to speak of, and to her, that just made it feel kind of like a dungeon. But that one little modification to the roof and ceiling fixed everything, also giving her the opportunity to stargaze from her bed on suitably clear nights. All things considered, it was one of her favorite little modifications to her otherwise rather impressive home.

Rising up from the bed and walking over to Naga, still asleep in the corner of the room, Asami gave the polar bear dog a gentle ‘good morning’ pat on the head and proceeded to scratch under her chin, prompting her to roll over onto her side in approval, refusing to open her eyes and wake up to greet the day. Understandably, she was still pretty tired from all the running around she’d done yesterday. Smiling, Asami made her way over to the closet she now shared with the Avatar, picking out her clothes for the day and getting ready to hop in the shower, herself, now that Korra was done. While Korra would likely be heading out to continue chasing down leads on that “Chi Eater” thing, Asami had a company to get back to and well over a dozen new projects to review. Though the ways in which they contributed were different, they both had their jobs to do in service to Republic City.

As Asami finished compiling her outfit for the day, Korra stepped out of the bathroom, already mostly dressed and ready for the day, finishing drying her hair with a little bit of Airbending. _“How convenient…”_ She thought. With hair like hers, it almost made the engineer wish _she_ could Airbend. In fact, that actually gave her an idea… while she contemplated the invention of the hair dryer, Korra greeted her fiancee for the morning.

“Oh, hey there, sleepyhead. ‘Bout time you got up.” The Avatar teased, giving Asami a peck on the cheek as she walked by, looking around the room for where she’d left her shoes.

“Hey, Korra. I’m actually surprised you got up so early, especially considering how tired you were last night. Normally I’m the one waking up first.” Asami replied. Korra, however, disagreed.

“That was just when we were on vacation, I’m actually used to waking up pretty early for training.” She corrected, locating the items she was looking for under the bed. “Now that we’re back and I’ve got Avatar stuff to do again, I don’t really have the luxury of sleeping in anymore.” It was a shame too, she really liked whiling away the morning hours just lying there with Asami, but… like she said, now that the two of them were back to their normal lives, she didn’t really have that luxury anymore. “Besides, I’ve got to get back to the station as soon as possible and see if Mako and Bolin have made any progress on this “Chi Eater” thing. It might have gotten away last time, but with any luck, either they or Tenzin will have found something that’ll make sure it won’t next time.”

Asami smiled. Korra certainly seemed to be in a much better mood today. She was glad, she really hated seeing her so frustrated and dejected like that. “I’m sure they have by now. Good luck out there.” Korra smiled back.

“Thanks, you too. I know that you’ve got your work cut out for you as well, now that you’re back in charge of your company and in the middle of rebuilding the city and everything.” Hopefully Asami would make it more navigable than it was yesterday, that was really annoying. Asami nodded, walking over to the Water Tribe girl and returning the peck on the cheek that she’d given her earlier, moving in the direction of the bathroom door to get ready for the day when a knock at their bedroom door caught both girls by surprise, Asami’s butler announcing the arrival of some guests looking to speak with the two of them in the foyer. Guests? Asami hoped it wasn’t more press. She really didn’t want to have to deal with them so early in the morning, especially not without having even taken a shower yet.

Making their way downstairs, the two girls were surprised to find President Raiko and one of his aides waiting for them in the middle of the room, his hands folded behind his back and his typical stoic expression adorning his face. As they made their way down the central staircase, he nodded, wishing them a good morning. “Sorry to be bothering you two again so soon. I actually just wanted to speak with Korra right now, but I guess there was a bit of a miscommunication. I was surprised to learn from Tenzin that she’d moved in here yesterday evening… though, after the way you two ended that press conference yesterday, maybe I shouldn’t have been.” Raiko began, the two girls grinning sheepishly in response.

“Right, sorry about that… we actually did have some other things we needed to get to, and the press _never_ would’ve let us go after a bombshell like that.” Korra explained, rubbing the back of her neck. The President smirked. The press was something he had to deal with quite a bit, himself – he understood where she was coming from. “Anyway, what was it you wanted to talk about?” She asked, Asami admittedly becoming a little curious, as well, opting to stay down here and listen in while the two of them talked.

“Chief Beifong just filled me in on the case you and your friends have been working on lately, that “Chi Eater” one? I understand that you stumbled across the remains of a couple of cops it had attacked… my condolences. Things in Republic City seem to be getting more and more dangerous by the day, even with Kuvira’s threat taken care of.” Korra frowned. She’d kind of put what she’d seen last night out of her mind until Raiko brought it up again. She was beginning to remember why she was so eager to get back out there, now. She didn’t ever want to have to see that again.

“I was actually about to head back to the precinct right now and see if Mako, Bolin and the Chief discovered anything new last night during their investigation. I want to stop this thing as much as you do, sir. Maybe even more. I’ve seen what it can do firsthand, and I’ve felt its presence… I am going to do everything in my power to put an end to this.” She explained, the tone of her voice deathly serious. Raiko nodded yet again.

“I’m sure you will. I have the utmost faith in you and your abilities, Avatar Korra.” He smiled. “But that’s actually not why I wanted to talk to you. There’s going to be a big mover premiere in the Pro Bending Arena tonight, it’s going to be a really big event. It’s going to be free to the public and will probably attract quite the audience as a result, and the mover’s star, Ryuuki Ayatsurishi, will be in attendance and donating a large sum of money to the reconstruction efforts before it begins, in order to help rebuild some of the more often overlooked areas of the city, such as Dragon Flats. I’m not sure if Varrick ever got around to inviting you two, but I would like for you attend the premiere tonight, regardless. Given everything that’s been going on lately and the exact nature of this “Chi Eater” that’s been prowling the streets, I would feel much safer having the Avatar in the audience; as too would the citizens of Republic City, I’m sure.” He explained, a very ‘Oops’ look flashing across Asami’s face when he first mentioned the mover premiere.

She’d completely forgotten to tell Korra that the two of them had been invited to that thing like she’d initially intended to last night. Though, given everything that’d ultimately transpired, she never really would’ve had the chance, anyway. “Oh, right, I was actually going to tell Korra about that last night, but other things ended up getting in the way. Varrick kind of indirectly invited us through Ravi the other day.” Asami explained, Korra raising an eyebrow in response. A mover premiere? She couldn’t say she’d ever been to one of those before. In fact, she’d never been to see a mover _at all_ before. I mean she’d _heard_ of them, yeah, but she’d never actually seen one in person. She had to admit, she was curious.

“A mover premiere, huh? That does sound pretty interesting. Honestly, I’d rather be prowling the streets myself looking for this thing, but if it’s going to be that big of an event, it might actually end up drawing its attention…” She thought aloud.

“My thoughts exactly. Lin assures me that she and her police force have everything covered in terms of security, but we still don’t know what this thing is for sure and I don’t want to take any chances. This is a very important event for the city, and not just because of Ryuuki’s donation. I would very much appreciate having you in attendance.” Raiko reiterated, Korra nodding in agreement. Like he’d said yesterday, the people could use a little pomp and circumstance to take their mind off things right about now, if only for a little while. Having the Avatar there would make people feel a lot safer and willing to take part. Besides, she had to admit that she was a little excited, it would be her first mover premiere. Hell, her first mover period! If everything went well, maybe she could turn this into her and Asami’s first real ‘date’ in the Physical World. Though, she supposed her ‘tour’ of the Southern Water Tribe when she proposed to her kind of counted, too. But still!

“Alright, sounds like a plan.” Korra replied. “I’ll be there. And, if that “Chi Eater” does show up, I’ll be sure to give it a good ass whooping while I’m at it so we can get right back to the mover.” She declared with a crooked grin, pounding her fist into her open hand, admittedly a little eager to see some action again even despite the circumstances. Raiko smiled.

“Excellent. If Varrick invited you two, I’m sure he already has your seats arranged in the VIP section with the rest of us. I look forward to seeing you there tonight.” With that, Raiko left the two girls to the remainder of their morning, his aide bowing before turning around and following the President out the door. With Raiko gone, Korra turned to face Asami, admittedly a little excited, even despite the circumstances. Hopefully everything would turn out alright tonight and she’d actually get to enjoy her first mover.

“Man, I’ve heard of movers before, but I’ve never actually seen one. I know I should probably be more focused on the “Chi Eater”, but I’m really excited. Hopefully it just lays low tonight and we can make a date out of it.” She smiled, Asami giggling in response. On the one hand, it almost sounded a little irresponsible, but on the other hand, it could also just be seen as making the best out of a bad situation. The President _really_ wanted Korra to attend either way, so why _shouldn’t_ she try and make the best of it? She’d just have to be sure to pick a dress that was both elegant and functional for the premiere, that way she could still fight if she had to. …In fact, maybe she’d just wear a suit. While she thought it over, Asami replied.

“That’d be nice. I’ve wanted to take you to see a mover for years, I went and watched them all the time back when you were still recovering in the South Pole. You’re going to love them, trust me.” The green-eyed girl assured, Korra’s smile remaining strong as ever. “Anyway, I should go take that shower now, I’ve gotta go get ready for work. I’ll see you tonight.” She finished, pecking Korra on the lips, the Water Tribe girl blushing slightly. She’d had a few dates in the Spirit World (hell, that whole damn vacation was basically just one great big two month date), but they never felt so _official_ before. She knew that she shouldn’t, but… she had high hopes.

“Right, see you tonight. Have a good day at work!” Korra called as she ran out the door, waving goodbye to her fiancee. It was time to go see what everybody else found out overnight and track down this “Chi Eater” before it caused any more problems, particularly for the premiere. Just some more incentive to, as Lin had put it, “put this thing in the ground”.

***** *** *** *** *****

Making her way to the second floor office, Korra was greeted with a much busier police precinct than she’d left the night before, almost every detective and veteran officer on or previously on the force having been gathered and put to work in the room talking on phones, going over incident reports and flipping through files, some of which looked to be very old _and_ very foreign.

Confused, she scanned the room for Mako and Bolin to no avail, their desk covered in papers but otherwise unoccupied, a large map of the world having been set up on a bulletin board behind it. Upon closer inspection, she could see that a number of spots on the map had been marked in red from all across the Earth Territories, Fire Nation, Water Tribes, and even in the general vicinities of the old Air Temples. What was all this? This couldn’t _all_ be about the Chi Eater, could it? Somehow, she got the sinking feeling that it was and that things were about to get a _lot_ more complicated.

Noticing the Avatar’s arrival, Korra was greeted by a rather familiar – albeit unexpected – face, former Captain and Chief of Police, Saikhan. “Avatar Korra, the Chief’s been expecting you. She and Tenzin are currently in her office, along with Mako and Bolin. I don’t know what it is you managed to uncover here, but it’s huge.” He explained, only serving to confuse Korra even more. Didn’t Saikhan retire years ago? And why was Tenzin here? Had he found something last night after all?

“Saikhan? What are _you_ doing here? What’s going on?” She asked, clearly unhappy to see him. The last time she saw Saikhan, he was bowing to Tarrlok’s every whim and had thrown her friends in jail. She still wasn’t over that. The former cop flinched, admittedly a little intimidated by Korra’s presence.

“I was called in late last night to help out with this case of yours, everybody was. Chief Beifong needed all the help she could get once she realized the full extent of what was going on here. I’m sure she’ll explain everything, just go to her office and talk to her.” He recommended, clearly trying to hurry this long, a nervous on his face. Thankfully, the phone on the desk to which he’d been temporarily assigned began to ring, the former police captain breathing a sigh of relief – a perfect excuse to bow out of this conversation before Korra did to him what she did to Kuvira.

Korra’s eyes narrowed. If Lin had called Saikhan of all people back, then this really couldn’t have been good. Following the man’s instructions, Korra made her way to the back of the room, opening the door to Lin’s office and finding Mako, Bolin, Tenzin and the Chief all standing there discussing the current case, just as Saikhan had described. Currently, they seemed to be looking over another map that had been pinned to the wall, this one of Republic City.

“…Tenzin? What are you doing here? What’s going on out there?” Korra asked, grabbing the four’s attention. Noticing his friend’s arrival, Bolin energetically waved hello while Mako, Lin and Tenzin simply turned in her direction, clearly relieved to see her here.

“Korra, good. We had a major break in the case last night – huge. We’re pretty sure that what we’re dealing with is a spirit now, and a nasty one at that. This thing has been wreaking havoc around the world for centuries.” Lin explained, Korra’s confused look now being compounded with one of shock. Did she just say _centuries_? Korra was beside herself – that had to be some sort of mistake. How in the hell could this thing have been killing people undetected for _centuries_? I mean, by now, at least _one_ other Avatar would’ve had to have encountered it, right?

Aang was one thing, he was just operating off of what little information he had at the time after the fact, but there was no way a spirit could be wreaking havoc in the Physical World for that long without the Avatar being aware of it – Korra was almost insulted by the implication. She glanced over in Tenzin’s direction, hoping she’d misheard what Lin had said, but he nodded along in agreement, elaborating further while the Avatar’s brow furrowed in frustration.

“I started doing some research into what you’d described to me last night after you’d left, just like I said I would. While I initially couldn’t find anything, I received a call from Lin later in the evening, who told me she had a hunch that Republic City and that village on the eastern shores weren’t the only place that this “Chi Eater” has attacked. She asked me to see if I couldn’t find anything about similar attacks in any letters or journals of Airbenders I may have had. What I found were numerous reports, some dating back almost 900 years, describing monks disappearing from Air Temples around the world, only to reappear a couple of days later as dried up, chi-less husks – just like what’s been happening in Republic City.” _900 years_? They think this thing has been killing people for _900 years_?

“And that’s not all. After doing some digging, we found reports from all across the Earth Kingdom territories, some of them even older than what Tenzin found. There’ve even been reports in the Northern and Southern Water Tribes and the Fire Nation. Each and every time, it’s been attributed to local monsters or angry spirits, but the details are always _exactly_ the same. We think it’s all just one spirit – the so-called “Chi Eater” that old man told us about last night.” Mako tacked on. Korra shook her head, unwilling to believe what she was hearing. What, did they think past Avatars just twiddled their thumbs that whole time or something? None of this made any sense.

“That’s not possible. If there’s been a spirit killing people around the world for _that_ long, one of the previous Avatars should have encountered it and stopped it by now. This has to be something else, there’s just no way this can be a single spirit.” Korra defended. They were talking about more than a thousand years of Avatars here – more than a dozen bridges between the two worlds tasked specifically with stopping things like this from happening. There was no way something like this could’ve escaped the attention of her past lives for _that_ long, it just wasn’t possible. And yet… what other explanation was there? The evidence spoke for itself.

“Here, take a look for yourself if you don’t believe me.” The Firebender replied, handing Korra a freshly compiled folder detailing everything that they’d found out since yesterday evening. They’d been working around the clock calling political, police and military officials from around the world, asking about any and all similar cases and writing down the details. In exploring the City Archives, they’d even stumbled across some old Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation reports dating back to the time of the Hundred Year War that’d been collected and then forgotten about over the years, compiled by soldiers of both countries who’d encountered similar events in their respective homelands and launched separate investigations into the killings – both failing to turn up any new information. It was the same thing with every file, every report, every person that they talked to.

Every single time, it was the exact same story: People began to disappear, and in their place, bodies completely drained of water, life and chi were left behind, and while they were sure they didn’t have every case, they had enough to see a _very_ clear pattern coming into focus, one that even Korra couldn’t deny. These attacks seemed to happen at very regular intervals, one month at a time every 25 years, and popped up all over the world, almost exclusively in smaller towns and villages or what were at the time small towns and villages, with exception to the Air Temples. It was only in the last 150 years that it seemed to begin targeting larger areas as well, presumably due to the higher concentration of targets.

While body counts between cycles varied, the time frame was always the same – one straight month of killings, then nothing for a quarter of a century, only for it to show up again in some other part of the world later on. If it weren’t for that pattern, she’d be fine chalking this up to a bunch of unconnected spirits lashing out in the same way, like Tenzin had proposed last night, but this was just… Korra grit her teeth. How could this have happened? How could the Avatar have failed so spectacularly for so long? The evidence was overwhelming, but she still couldn’t believe it. She _refused_ to believe it.

“No, this can’t be right. This is too deliberate, too well-planned. Spirits do _not_ act like this. They don’t go traveling around the world killing people and eating their chi, they don’t act on 25 year cycles, and they _definitely_ don’t avoid bumping into the Avatar for more than a thousand years while doing it. There is no way that a spirit could be doing all of this. I would have known. Avatar Aang would have known. Avatar Roku would have known. _Some_ other Avatar would have known.” She declared.

“Korra, I can understand your frustration, but I’m afraid that the evidence speaks for itself. This thing has been eating people’s chi for almost 1,100 years in the exact same way and in the exact same pattern. I’ll admit, its behavior is incredibly unusual – unbelievably so, even – but there is nothing else that could live that long and kill in this way _but_ a spirit. I’m sorry.” Tenzin sorrowfully explained. He knew that Korra didn’t want to believe it. The idea that there was a spirit out there as malevolent as Vaatu which was determined to avoid the Avatar’s gaze greatly troubled him, too, but… there was just no other explanation. This was the only thing that fit.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, kid. This thing’s smart – really smart. Yeah, the Avatar’s failed to stop it, but that was by design. Look at everywhere it’s attacked – these are small, isolated villages. Every time it attacks, it gets written into legend as just some local monster in that area’s mythology or explained away as an angry spirit lashing out for a lack of respect. With exception to the Air Temples, it never attacks the same place twice in the same century, and it _never_ goes back if a place becomes too big and expands into a city. It’s even changed nations in an attempt to throw people off its trail. The only time it has ever changed it’s M.O. is 150 years ago – when Avatar Aang had disappeared and the Avatar cycle was presumed to be over for good. It did everything in its power to avoid you, but ever since then, it’s gotten cocky and started attacking cities, too, and now, as a result, we’re finally onto it.” Lin explained.

“Yeah, and the world is more connected now than it was even 25 years ago, the last time it attacked down on the southern peninsula. The world is more global and united than ever before, and we can call these places up on the telephone and trade information almost instantly. In the past, this thing relied on the division between villages and nations and the lack of instant communication to get around undetected. None of that exists anymore, at least not to such a large degree.” Mako added on.

Korra sighed. They _all_ had a point. Unless there was an eleven hundred year old human running around that had met with a lion turtle and learned the art of Energybending, this had to be a spirit. “I don’t want to believe it, but… maybe you’re right. Maybe this thing just outsmarted the Avatar cycle. Maybe the Avatar failed. I just don’t understand why a spirit would attack people and eat their chi, or why it would act in cycles like this. It just… doesn’t make any sense to me.” But then, neither did the alternative. Much as she hated to admit it, this was the best theory they had right now, even if it did make Raava and her past lives look bad.

“That’s why this is still an investigation. We don’t have all the answers yet, but we’re not done looking for them, either.” Lin replied. “Now we know how long we have to track this thing down and put an end to it, once and for all. Factoring in the past few days, we have roughly 3 and a half weeks left before it turns tail and disappears for the next 25 years. There’s still a lot we don’t know, but what we’ve got will have to be enough.” Korra sighed. So much for today being a better day. So far, this was actually turning out to be worse than last night was.

“Well, maybe not, Chief. That’s actually why Bolin and I first came in here to talk to you. We may have found an eyewitness to the attack in Dragon Flats yesterday – somebody who saw the “Chi Eater” in person.” Mako spoke up, catching the Metalbender’s and the Avatar’s attention while Tenzin glanced in his direction, stroking his beard in thought. A witness?

“What? Why didn’t you say something sooner?” Lin asked.

“Well, we tried to, but then Tenzin showed up and you had us go update the map outside with the Air Temple attacks and add them to the case file, instead. _Then_ you were showing Tenzin where this thing had attacked in Republic City so far and started brainstorming ways we could catch it, so we kinda just listened in for a bit. Then Korra showed up!” Bolin replied, the look on the Chief’s face clearly less amused than his, causing him to take a few steps back. Right. Rhetorical. She wanted names, not explanations. Before he could open his mouth to get on with it, however, his brother beat him to the punch.

“They call him “Gonzo”. He’s a mid-level member of the Triple Threats known for dealing contraband in the Dragon Flats area.” Bolin frowned slightly. He really wanted to be the one to say it… oh well, he still had those earlier couple of breaks in the case under his belt. He supposed he could let his older brother bask in the spotlight for a bit as well. “Apparently, he was there when it happened and has been telling everyone in the area that he fought it and lived. I have no idea if he’s telling the truth or not, but… it’s something.” Lin agreed – and something was better than nothing.

“It’ll have to do. Take your brother and the Avatar to Dragon Flats and see what you can get out of this “Gonzo”.” She ordered, Mako giving her a simple “Yes ma’am” in response. “And Mako – this case is bigger than Republic City. If you think this guy actually knows something, I want you to get him to spill it, no matter what. I am giving you full authority to do whatever you have to in order to make sure he talks. We need to track this thing down, before it’s too late. Whatever it takes. Do I make myself clear?”

The tone of Lin’s voice and the look in her eyes was more serious than Mako had ever seen and more intense than Tenzin had seen since she’d resolved herself to step down as Chief of Police and hunt down her missing Metalbenders from outside the law back during the whole Equalist fiasco. Was she implying what it sounded like she was implying? Mako nodded hesitantly, in response, Bolin giving a concerned look while Korra seemed perfectly content with Lin’s position, understanding it at the very least, if not outright supporting it. Korra wouldn’t be willing to… …would she? Bolin couldn’t see it. But… “whatever it takes”?

“…Yes ma’am, understood. Bolin, Korra, let’s go.” Mako affirmed, turning and walking out the door, motioning for the two of them to follow. Korra obliged almost immediately, but Bolin stood there for a second longer, a little unsure of what the Chief meant exactly, but not quite sure he wanted to ask her for details, either. But there was no use waiting around here – he wasn’t going to get left behind again, that was not going to start becoming a trend. After a moment of thought, he followed his brother and his friend, hoping that he wouldn’t end up having to do something he didn’t want to for the sake of the greater good. After everything that’d happened with Kuvira and her army, he’d seriously begun to see the flaws with that way of thinking.

“…Are you alright, Lin? I haven’t seen you this upset since–” Before Tenzin could finish, the Chief of Police had raised her hand, cutting him off as she began to speak herself.

“This thing killed three of my men last night, Tenzin, and spirits knows how many others these past thousand years. If I have to end up consenting to the torture of some Triad lowlife to bring this thing’s killing spree to an end, my conscience is clean.” The Airbending Master was stunned silent, not really sure what to say. He’d never heard her so sure of something so… _wrong_ , before. Even given the direness of the circumstances, he wasn’t sure he could abide by such a thing if it ever actually came down to it. “Besides, Mako’s a smart kid. I’m sure he won’t let things escalate that far if they don’t have to. If there’s another way, he’ll find it, Tenzin. Don’t worry.” He sure hoped so – for everybody’s sake.

***** *** *** *** *****

“So, what do we know about this Gonzo guy, anyway?” Bolin finally asked as he, his brother and Korra made their way down the streets of Dragon Flats, starting the next road over from where they’d found the three cops’ bodies last night, which was now closed off and considered to be an active crime scene. The car ride over here was deathly silent and more than a little awkward on the Earthbender’s part. He’d wanted to say _something_ , but what Lin said was still weighing pretty heavily on his mind, keeping him more confined to himself than he normally would be, hoping he wouldn’t have to end up getting between Mako, Korra and their potential witness.

Their apparent acceptance of Lin’s ‘go-ahead’ and general silence on the matter left him more than a little nervous. He really hoped they weren’t seriously considering what he was afraid they were considering. I mean, they wouldn’t right? Yeah, the Triads were bad, and they definitely weren’t helping the city, especially not right now, but they wouldn’t go that far to find this thing, would they? …Would they?

“Just that he’s a mid-level member of the Triple Threats and runs a few scams and shops around here specializing in drugs and contraband. Rumor has it he’s a part time enforcer for the group, as well, and fearless to the point of foolish, a real thrill seeker. He doesn’t scare easy.” Mako explained. Great, just what Bolin wanted to hear. This guy didn’t sound like somebody who would be particularly reasonable. Things were looking worse and worse by the second.

“Please, once he sees that you guys have _me_ with you, he’ll be telling us whatever it is we wanna know. Just let me do all the talking.” Korra replied with a smirk, prompting a shrug from the Firebending detective.

“Sure, whatever you want.” Korra was probably right, nobody was dumb enough to get on her bad side after everything she’d done and been through, not even a ‘fearless fool’. Or, so Mako hoped, anyway. He wasn’t really sure he’d be able to stop her if she resorted to beating the story out of the guy, which, given Lin’s go-ahead and the way she was acting back at the precinct when she’d heard how long the Chi Eater had actually been stirring up trouble, he begrudgingly had to admit was a possibility. Personally, he had no intention of doing “whatever he had to”, he just wasn’t sure if Korra felt the same way or not. “…Just, don’t go too rough on him, okay? I know what Lin said, but–”

“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing, Mako.” Korra assured with a smile. “I talk a big game, but I’m not _that_ violent if I don’t have to be. I have no issue with scaring the crap out of him, though.” She laughed, Bolin breathing a sigh of relief.

“Oh thank goodness, I thought you two were going to like torture him or something, I was beginning to worry there for a bit.” The younger brother explained, holding his hand over his chest as if to stop his heart from leaping out of it.

“Yeah, I know. I thought it was pretty funny, honestly.” Korra laughed again, catching Bolin off guard. Wait, were they being quiet before on purpose? _Were they just screwing with him that whole car ride down here?_

“Yeah bro, you should’ve seen your face on the way over here, it was priceless.” Mako replied, giving the Water Tribe girl a high five while Bolin just narrowed his eyes.

“Not funny, guys! You know what I went through with Kuvira’s Army! I was seriously afraid I might have to stop you two from doing something very Kuvira-y for a minute there!” Mako’s smile immediately faded. That was Kuvira’s M.O., wasn’t it? “By any means necessary”, “The ends justify the means”, “For the greater good” and all that jazz. He couldn’t say he didn’t see where his brother was coming from with that one, which just made him even more concerned about what the Chief had said in the first place. Was Lin _really_ willing to go that far? Yeah, the situation was looking pretty bad, but still, that was… “…Oh, hey, isn’t that the guy?” Bolin asked, pointing to a man behind one of the many merchant stands lining the street, breaking Mako’s train of thought.

The Firebending detective reached into his coat pocket, taking out a police mugshot that’d been taken of their supposed witness when he was arrested a couple of months ago, taking it from his file when he’d first heard he saw the thing responsible for the attacks. Comparing the face in the picture with the man standing behind what at least _looked_ like a Fruit Stand, he was sure – that was “Gonzo” alright. He just wasn’t sure that was actually a Fruit Stand. If Mako had to guess, they were probably hiding their _real_ merchandise beneath and inside of that thing, maybe even keeping some stuff beneath a layer of actual fruit. The detective also made note of the other men nearby Gonzo – three of them, sitting in wooden chairs around a small table playing cards, chatting it up with the man manning the stand and one another. Given who they were, they were probably gambling illegally, too.

“…Looks like that’s him. He’s all yours, Korra. He’s got friends with him though – judging by their clothes, two Waterbenders and an Earthbender. Bolin and I will have your back, but be careful.” Mako warned, the Avatar cracking her neck and her knuckles in preparation. Finally, some fun. _It was go time_. Walking up to the stand with Mako and Bolin right behind her, Korra brazenly leaned herself over it, making no attempt to hide who she was or why she was here. She wasn’t exactly somebody who could blend in even if she wanted to, anyway.

The new arrival immediately grabbed the attention of the Earth Territories man with the slicked back hair and pencil mustache stationed behind the stand, said man looking her over thoroughly. Now why did she look so familiar? Had they dated at some point? He knew the face, but he couldn’t quite place it. The men at the table to his right almost immediately picked up on who she was though and began to sweat a bit, something she herself had picked up on, causing her to smirk. They just hoped their boss didn’t start any trouble, they really weren’t looking forward to fighting the Avatar today.

“…Summin I can help ya wid, miss?” He asked, a little unsure what to make of the situation. He swore he’d seen this girl before, but he _still_ couldn’t place her. She was clearly Water Tribe, and he liked Water Tribe girls – hell, he was just dating three of them last week, at least until they all found out about each other. Was she one of them? …No, she seemed more important than that. Who _was_ she?

“I don’t know, you tell me, “Gonzo”.” She replied confidently. That look in her eye… so _that’s_ who she was. He was being paid a visit by the Avatar, huh? He thought she looked familiar. The man behind the stand gave a toothy grin, clearly amused. Well, today just got a lot more interesting – and, from his perspective, better looking.

“…Oho. I’d hoid da Avatah was back in town, din’t expect ya ta come lookin’ for lil’ ol’ me, tho. What’s ya biznis wid Gonzo?” He asked, leaning onto his “Fruit Stand” as well, prompting Korra to step back. Okay, that was kind of a creepy pose coming from this slime ball.

“Oh you have, have you? Well, I’ve heard you and your pals have been stirring up a lot of trouble in Republic City lately. Maybe you _should_ have expected me.” Korra stated, the Triple Threats member continuing to grin at her all-the-while, looking her directly in the eye. True to his reputation, he seemed to be completely unafraid, as though he still felt in control of the situation. “But I’m actually here about something else, today. I heard you saw what happened with those cops last night. If I were you, I’d start start talking, “Gonzo”.” She warned, cracking her knuckles. Still, Gonzo continued to simply grin and stare, almost as though he were enjoying her little tough girl act. Which, of course, he was – to a rather disturbing degree, in fact. This was going to be fun, he just knew it.

“Ey, is dat a threat I’m detectin’? Not exactly da best way ta be gettin’ infomation outta a prospective witness, if ya ask me. Ya best watch yo attitude, Avatah, or I might just turn ya down, y’hear?” Gonzo warned right back, remaining strikingly calm in the face of the single most powerful person in the world. Korra had to admit, she was a little impressed. He certainly didn’t look like much, but he sure was confident. “But yeah, I know a lil summin summin ‘bout what went n’ happened Downtown last night, sum pretty crazy stuff, man. What of it? My infomation don’t exactly come fo free, y’see, ‘specially to da Avatah. I can’t just go tellin’ ya whateva wheneva. Ya gonna have ta pay up, foist.” The gang member explained, bringing his head to a rest on his hand as he continued to stare with an amused expression.

“Oh, I’ll pay up alright…” Korra said, pounding her fist into her hand. Again, Gonzo showed no fear, continuing to look her straight in the eye, but the men at the table were beginning to get a bit more antsy – something Mako and Bolin almost immediately took note of, getting ready to strike at any moment should the need arise. Honestly though, Gonzo’s demeanor was starting to get a little creepy. He almost seemed _too_ calm and smiley, and he wouldn’t stop staring at her eyes… it was really starting to throw her off.

“Again wid da threats. Ya gotta pretty lil’ mind dere, but Imma ‘fraid it’s only got da one track, y’know what I’m sayin’? Ya want da deets, ya gotta giv me da respect I desoive. Odderwise, Imma just have ta close up shop n’ let ma boys ere andle ya while I mosey on off, y’hear? I wanna help ya, really, I do, some scary stuffs been goin’ on lately, took out one of our own. Got us all mighty pissed, y’hear? But Imma ‘fraid dat Idda be sendin’ da wrong message to da boys if I let ya treat me like dis n’ still git what ya want, ya see? Rule numbah one of da streets, goily – respect ya eldahs, and dey might just teach ya summin.” As much as this guy and his manner of speaking was starting to tick Korra off, she had neither the time nor the luxury to be arguing with him right now. Most low-level goons would’ve cracked the instant she got in their face, but he didn’t – in fact, he seemed to be rather enjoying this.

Gonzo’s ‘boys’ at the table rose from their seats, putting their cards down and facing the Avatar, watching her and her two friends very carefully, but making no further movements aside from standing up. Bolin gulped while Mako remained eerily calm and focused, Korra considering her options while Gonzo continued to smile and stare – he already knew what she was going to decide, but watching her stand there figuring out her position was fun. The three of them knew they could take down Gonzo’s three goons no problem, that was a foregone conclusion – it would be simple, Korra could do it single-handedly in a couple seconds flat. Problem was, the instant they engaged them, their boss would make a run for it, leaving them completely without a lead.

She _could_ attack all four of them at once herself, but then she’d be running the same risk – guys like Gonzo were slippery little bastards, and Triad goons were always loyal and good at creating distractions. Any other day, she’d just say screw it and intimidate them with a little show of force, but that wasn’t a risk she was willing to take today. She couldn’t afford to let this lead slip away and Gonzo knew it. He knew the instant she asked him about what he saw that he was an important witness to her, especially given what it was he’d seen. She wanted that information bad and he couldn’t wait to exploit that to its fullest. Sighing in defeat, Korra had no choice but to comply. She just couldn’t take the risk. She’d tried things her way and this guy saw right through her – she’d just have to play this game his way. For now.

“Fine. What’s your price?” She asked. Gonzo’s grin grew. Just as he thought.

“Now dat’s mo like it. See, if ya’d come ere a lil mo like dat, we coulda gotten down ta biznis a lot soonah. A’ight den, Avatah. Whatchu askin’ fo puts me n’ ma boys in a pecarious situation, y’feel me? So Imma need three things from ya. Foist things foist – alla dis Imma ‘bout ta tell ya? Ya din’t hear it from me. Ain’t nonna dis gonna blow back on ol’ Gonzo in any way, y’hear? Far as youse is concerned, I’m a reputable biznis owner and ma story will be treated as tho it came from such. Second – yo buddies in da blue back dere are gonna lemme go da next time dey see me and catch me inna… how d’ya say… awkwoid situation. Turn da odder way n’ lemme skedaddle, just once, y’feel? N’ finally, fo youse, Avatah – ya gonna call me ‘soir’ from now on, got it? Promise me dose three things, n’ I’ll tell ya whateva it is you wanna know.” _Excuse_ her? _What_ did he want her to call him!?

“Just once? …I don’t like it, but this is too important. You have a deal.” Mako replied. It was better than what Bolin had feared and Lin had given him full clearance to do should he have to, but the Earthbender couldn’t help but get a bad feeling about this, anyway. He felt like this was going to come back and bite them in the ass in some way later, but… the safety of all of Republic City was at stake. A thousand year old serial killer spirit was infinitely more dangerous than some mid-level Triad lowlife. So for now, he cautiously sided with his brother, also agreeing to Gonzo’s proposed terms. He didn’t like it either, but for now, the Chi Eater took precedence. Having now dealt with the cop problem, Gonzo’s focus shifted from the boys in uniform back to the Avatar.

Korra was much more reluctant to comply. It felt wrong just thinking about it, and the amused grin on that slimy bastard’s face just made it worse. Looking back at Mako and Bolin, as they nodded for her to follow along, she growled, gritting her teeth. She didn’t really have much choice in the matter, and she knew it. She was going to kill those two later on, she swore. “…Fine, ‘sir’, what happened last night?” Korra bitterly asked, Gonzo’s grin becoming infinitely more self-satisfied. Just wait until he told the boss about this one.

“Good, good, ya loinin’! Right, so, y’wanna know ‘bout da spirit, eh? Yeah, I saw it. Ya buddies in blue wuh patrollin’ da streets mo heavily den usual so I knew summin had ta be up, y’feel me? But Gonzo’s gotta biznis ta run, I ain’t gonna go lettin no coppahs go crampin’ ma style, I just had ta lay low fo a bit. But I was watchin’, I was waitin’, when alla da sudden, dis big black ding comes dashin outta da shadows, lookin mighty fierce, y’hear? It knocked ova summa ma moichandise while I ducked fo covah, and da cops came walkin outta deir cruisah, all pissed n’ pissin’ demselves, y’know? Dey tried bendin’, dey put up a fight, but da ding, it shrugged ‘em off like dey wudn’t nuttin’, it was like dey was hittin’ some sorta grape jelly or summin.” …Grape jelly? Well, she guessed spirits were kind of gelatinous in nature when struck. They weren’t exactly solid, but… well, it got the point across. It didn’t react like a tangible object would, at least not a normal one. She’d encountered that before.

“Den it screamed, and it made dis ere crayzee-ass shockwave, y’see? Broke a lotta windows, knocked da cops down, destroyed whateva was left o ma moichandise. Dey got scared, ran back to deir cruisah, and dey wuh bookin’ it! Like, dayum! But dis ding, it like, toined into a blur, and it to’ da cah in two! It took da cops, it roughed ‘em up a bit, and den it pinned ‘em down. Dis freaky-ass light show went ‘n came outta its mout, and den maybe 10 seconds latah, da cop it had was just dis… dis… kinda raisin lookin’ ding on da ground, felt like I was gonna be sick. It did the same ding to what was left of da odders and den ran off, back into da shadows in an Eastahly direction, y’feel me? Towad da Bay. Den you guys swung by maybe 5 minutes latah, and da old man started yappin’, so I took dat as my cue to mosey on out befo’ ya buddies in da blue noticed me, y’feel? N’ dat’s all I know, promise.” Mako, Bolin and Korra all looked at each other. If everything he just said was true, then it sounded like they were dealing with a spirit after all. Great, just what Korra _didn’t_ want to hear.

“Thanks for all the help, “Gonzo”.” Korra thanked, putting especially bitter emphasis on the fact that she was saying his name as opposed to calling him by his preferred title, causing him to chuckle. What a fun little meeting this had been. Korra turned around as if to walk away, but then stopped almost immediately after, Mako and Bolin raising an eyebrow while the men Gonzo had in waiting raised their arms, ready to strike. What was she planning? “Oh, and by the way – these two may be letting you go next time they catch you doing something, but I won’t. In fact, I’m not going to let you go _now_ , either.”

Before anybody there knew what was going on, Mako and Bolin included, Korra had raised her leg high above her head, bringing it down with a powerful, Firebending-enhanced dropkick, smashing the stand the gangster was working behind in two and destroying whatever _real_ merchandise he may have been hiding under and inside of it in the process, completely catching the man off guard. She was cute _and_ crazy – Gonzo may have been in love. The goons to his right immediately sprang into action and bent in retaliation, but before Mako and Bolin could do anything to intercept them, Korra was already on it.

The two Waterbenders immediately sent streams of water at the Avatar, who intercepted them once they got close and bent them into spheres in front of her before sending them back full force at the two who’d created them, aiming for their heads and freezing them on contact. At the same time, the Earthbender between them stomped on the ground, bringing up a large cube-shaped chunk of earth which he sent flying with a spinning back kick as the two Waterbenders fell frozen to his right and left, Korra running straight into this attack and looking as though she punched right through the earth with her fist, bending it in two and then following it up with some Earthbending of her own as she came out from behind his attack, breaking his footing by shifting the earth beneath his feet and knocking him out with a rising pillar of earth to his face as he fell forward into the ground.

In only a couple of seconds, she’d destroyed Gonzo’s stand and his merchandise, subdued his three companions, and before he knew what’d hit him, a powerful gust of wind Airbent in his direction had sent him flying back-first into the building behind him, prompting him to laugh right after impact as he fell to the ground on his hands and knees. How didn’t he see this one coming? He’d fully expected her to lead with an assault, but neglected to factor in the potential of her ending with one. Seemed he’d gotten a little too wrapped up in toying around with her and ogling her eyes and had lost track of the prize as a result. This was why he was still just a mid-tier grunt.

“So disrespectful… but it’s good ta see our Avatah’s gotta lil’ moxy. It’s been a pleasuh, Avatah.” Gonzo grinned, rising to his feet and dusting off his suit, walking away from his busted stand to check on his men, allowing the Water Tribe girl and her two “buddies in blue” to walk away unscathed. Even if he could bend, he had no intention of seeking retribution right now. Getting the Avatar to call him “sir” just once was all the payment – or payback – that he needed, especially when she was such a looker. What did he care if he lost a stand or two in the process? This was Triple Threats territory already, anyway – he could easily set up a dozen more an hour later. All-in-all, for “Gonzo”, this had been a pretty good morning. Couldn’t say the same thing for his goons, though. She really did do a number on them, didn’t she?

As Mako, Bolin and Korra made their way back to the cruiser, the two bending brothers couldn’t help but be a little awestruck. Why were they even here? Korra seemed to have everything under control all by herself. However, while they saw it as a victory to be celebrated, Korra saw it as an unwelcome revelation, letting loose an annoyed sigh. “So it’s a spirit, after all. After everything you guys told me in the precinct, I can’t say I’m not surprised, but… I don’t know. Something still feels off to me, somehow. I feel like we’re missing something.” She explained, the two of them shooting each other a confused look. Missing something like what?

They knew she didn’t want to think that there were more spirits like Vaatu out there, let alone that she and pretty much every Avatar before her over the past thousand years had been completely duped by this thing, but the evidence was pretty incontrovertible at this point, especially with Gonzo’s eyewitness testimony. He may have been a bit of a sleazeball, but his story seemed legit. After everything they went through during Harmonic Convergence, the last thing Mako and Bolin wanted to deal with was more dark spirits, but that was just the way this cookie crumbled, from their perspective.

“Well, I guess we’ll find out soon enough. It sounds like it might finally be leaving Dragon Flats and heading East for the rest of the city. We’ll have to have the Chief put everyone on high alert and get some more patrols down here in the Flats and out near Yue Bay and the Harbor in the Eastern District; make sure they know to report, not engage.” Mako thought aloud. The last thing they needed were more dead cops, especially given how stretched thin the department was already. Still, they couldn’t let this thing walk away without even trying to look for it. They were a bit late to the party, but with any luck, it hadn’t gotten too far or hidden itself too well.

“Isn’t the Pro Bending Arena to the East, too, though? And Air Temple Island. We need to let Tenzin and the other Airbenders know, just in case.” Bolin warned, Mako nodding in agreement. Korra’s brow furrowed. That’s right, the Pro Bending Arena… it couldn’t know of the mover premiere, could it? Tenzin could take care of his own, Korra knew that, but she was beginning to get a bit worried about tonight’s event now. She never even would’ve thought of that if Bolin hadn’t brought it up.

“What about the Arena? Tenzin and Jinora can take care of Air Temple Island, but President Raiko told me there’s going to be a big event at the arena tonight, a mover premiere. He wants me to attend in case anything goes down, but we should increase security there for tonight, as well. We should also do a sweep in and around the area and make sure it isn’t already there just waiting for people to show up. If this thing was smart enough to actively hide from my past lives for a thousand years, it’s smart enough to know how to stage an ambush.” Korra mentioned. Mako agreed, but he was confident that it wouldn’t be getting in so long as he and the Chief were in charge.

“Don’t worry about it, Lin and I will be handling security there and I know that place like the back of my hand, there won’t be a single vent left unguarded. Come tonight, there won’t be a safer place in the whole city. You make a good point about it already being there, though… once we get back to the precinct, I’m going to see if I can’t get the go ahead from the Chief to let you and Bolin to help me do a quick sweep of the place and start setting up security now to make sure it doesn’t show up at all anytime between now and the premiere.” Korra nodded. Sounded like a plan.

“If you’re attending the premiere, does that mean Asami’s coming too? Ooh, would that make this a date? I hear the mover they’re showing, “The Dancing Dragons” is a romance… what a perfect setting for–” Before Bolin could even think of a way to finish that sentence, Korra had smacked him in the back of the head with an Earthbent rock. Not hard enough to knock him out or draw blood or anything, just enough to hurt him and get him to stop talking. “Ow! Okay, okay, I get it, I’ll shut up, let’s just get back to the precinct and start setting up security…” He groaned, rubbing the back of his head.

Korra smiled, walking on ahead of the two brothers and taking her seat in the back of the car. If there was going to be any possible way for her to enjoy herself with Asami tonight, she was going to make sure she found it for sure. And if that thing did show up… she was going to be ready for it, and she was going to end it.

***** *** *** *** *****

“Today’s top story: Bending More Than Just the Elements: Avatar Korra and Future Industries’ Asami Sato _Engaged _!? During an impromptu press conference late yesterday afternoon, the recently returned Avatar Korra and her traveling companion Asami Sato were blindsided by a question from our own Liu Shang, seemingly confirming what rumors have been speculating for well over a month and a half now: the Avatar and the CEO have entered into a romantic relationship – and it’s _serious_! What does this mean for the future of Republic City and the direction of Future Industries?”__

The radio within the Guard’s Breakroom played at full blast, much to the chagrin of the prisoner who could hear it loud and clear through the small square room’s wide open door, the voices of Republic City’s press she’d always found mind-numbingly annoying comprising almost 75% of what she heard these days. She honestly couldn’t wait for them to just execute her at this point, she’d gladly do it herself if they’d let her near some earth or metal – anything to not have to listen to this drivel anymore. Who even talks so candidly somebody else’s private life like that? She didn’t care what anybody thought, there were a few things that would’ve been better under her rule by virtue of no longer being allowed to exist.

As Kuvira sat there in her wooden cage, the guards stationed on this platform with and around her stood as her only remaining connections to the outside world, them and that damn radio of theirs. If she were close enough, she’d bend whatever metal she could out of that thing and destroy it, but they made sure to keep her weak. Barely fed, barely sheltered, barely tended to in any major capacity – she’d essentially been left here to rot with an audience until the court stopped dragging its feet and gave her the death penalty everyone was expecting, herself included. Not even that madman Zaheer, whose mess she was initially tasked with cleaning up, was executed. She really must’ve meant a lot to them, huh?

She wondered if maybe those Beifong sisters had something to do with it? Or maybe it was President Raiko himself, for what she did to Republic City. She couldn’t really blame them if they did, any of them. It’s the same punishment she would’ve sought out for somebody of her caliber were she in their position. Examples had to be made, right? _Everybody_ was talking about it as though it were a foregone conclusion now.

She felt like she’d had this train of thought before. But days blended together out here, you lost track of time, of thoughts. She wondered if Korra was really going to be weighing in on her trial or not. She wondered if maybe she’d come pay her a visit sometime. The way they’d left things back in the Spirit World… it almost seemed as though she got it. Like maybe she understood Kuvira and what she was trying to do. Would Korra be abandoning her, too? Would she come and try and play ‘friend’ to Kuvira? Would she try to persuade her to change? Would she just stand by and let them kill her?

Would she let Korra stop them if they tried?

As confident as she was that the Avatar would try to spare her life, what she wasn’t confident of was whether or not she herself wanted to be spared. What did she have to live for or go back to, to work toward? There was nothing left. Her empire was gone, her fiance was gone, her home was gone, the only one even remotely close to a mother to her was gone. She had lost everything, and all of it was her fault. If Korra was anything like Aang, she’d probably deliver some spiel about how forgiveness and non-violence were important, and acceptance was the first step to the road to recovery, and how she should be allowed to atone for her crimes… but why should she even bother? She had nothing left to live for, and they’d never let her out of prison, anyway, even if she was spared. What would even be the point?

Kuvira half-closed her eyes, looking downward as she sat there in the center of her cage, her arms around her knees and her face half buried behind them, wondering if any of what she’d done was ever really worth it. She’d thought about that a lot since surrendering. How much of what she accomplished was worth the pain she went through to accomplish it? Had she ever actually accomplished anything? She’d heard about how the Earth Kingdom wasn’t even going to be a Kingdom anymore, it was going to go back to the way it was before she found it and forged it into an empire, back to a bunch of independent states. What was she even trying to prove before? That she could be the Avatar? That she could be like Su? That she could bring balance through force?

All that she’d proved was that she was a fool.

The radio changed stories as the guards continued to talk amongst themselves as though she wasn’t even there, talking about the mover premiere tonight they wouldn’t be able to see on account of being stuck with the “Great Uniter”, and about the new bodies that’d shown up from what they were now calling the “Chi Eater” case. Though details remained sketchy on the latter, it seemed that Korra was now working with the police on a spiritual angle on the case. First day back in the city and they already have her cleaning up another mess. Kuvira wondered if maybe she was somehow responsible for this one, too. Had her weapon angered the spirits? Would this mean that Korra wouldn’t be able to take part in her trial, after all? How many days did she even have left at this point?

How much could the Avatar balance at once, she wondered, and how much would it matter if she just complete forgot about her? Would she mind if she did? After all, everybody else already had. If Korra had forgotten about her, she could understand. That would be okay. She’d already resigned herself to her fate anyway, all she had left to do now was wait. She just wished they’d hurry up and get on with it already. She wondered if maybe they were just trying to make her suffer and drive her insane by leaving her here alone so long like this. If they were, it was working – this was not the kind of life she felt herself fit to lead, a life of solitude. Maybe that suited a mad monk, but her? An empress was a social creature; she’d rather die a dog than live alone. It was all just a matter of time.

…But she thought she knew now, what she’d say if Korra ever remembered her. What she’d say if she ever saw her again. She just wondered now if she’d ever get the chance to actually say it. “I’m sorry”. She whispered it beneath her breath, broken, drawing the attention of no one. If she shouted it at the top of her lungs from the highest mountaintop, still, no one would hear her, but still, the apology would remain no less sincere. But she guessed sometimes words just didn’t cut it anymore. “Sorry”… what did it matter? Her damage was done and there wasn’t a single soul left on this continent that would be willing to forgive her. The only way that she had left that she felt like she could properly apologize now was just to let them kill her.

Her will had been broken weeks ago, she was done fighting. Done hoping. Whether Korra intervened or not now was irrelevant to her… she’d made up her mind. All she had to do now was wait.


	5. A Night at the Theater, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally the day of the big mover premiere, and Korra and the rest of the Krew are busier than ever dealing with the mess of the Chi Eater and preparing the Pro Bending Arena ahead of time, hoping that their advanced sweep of the area and enhanced security measures will be enough to keep the rogue, Energybending spirit at bay. 
> 
> Meanwhile, Tenzin reacts negatively to the news of the Chi Eater's movements drawing it towards Yue Bay, enacting a plan to evacuate Air Temple Island ahead of time and keep his Airbenders as thinly spread as possible in hopes of avoiding the otherworldly monster's gaze, an unexpected visitor appearing as his plans begin to go south.

# Book Five  
Chi  
  
Chapter Five  
A Night at the Theater, Part 1

“This is worse than I thought...” Tenzin thought aloud, a defeated expression hung upon his face. The Chi Eater was finally on the move, and according to what Korra had just explained to him, it was strong – three Earthbenders at once didn't even phase it. Even Korra couldn't help but agree that they were dealing with a spirit now, even despite her earlier misgivings. What Gonzo had described was just too dead-on to be anything else. “Are you sure he said that it was heading toward Yue Bay?” He asked, wanting to confirm. He felt that an event as large as the mover premiere would be more at risk than Air Temple Island would be, but then again, if what Lin had theorized was true and this thing was targeting benders specifically, then an island full of Airbenders may be just as alluring to a chi eating spirit, if not more.

Due to the lack of details uncovered by previous investigators, unaware of the true scope or nature of what they were dealing with, they still had no idea how the Chi Eater chose its victims or whether it preferred benders or non-benders, or even whether it could differentiate between the two. They still didn't know what made this thing tick or what had initially prompted it to start killing, let alone why it had dragged things out for over a thousand years. They didn't even know why it ate chi in the first place. For all Tenzin knew, this thing could physically taste the chi of others and has been itching to feast on the chi of another Airbender ever since they were presumed to have gone extinct almost 200 years ago. He had no idea how much danger his family was in, or his people. All he knew was that they were, and given what they were up against, there was very little he could do to stop it if it attacked.

“...We're sure, yeah.” Mako replied, a sympathetic look on his face as he watched Tenzin's sink even more. He could tell that the Airbending Master was worried. To be honest, he couldn't blame him, he was worried too. There were just too many unknowns here, and the fact that this was a spirit just made it worse. They really didn't have much hope going up against one of those. “Maybe you should recall the Airbenders. Head back to Air Temple Island and get everybody up to speed. Now that we know this thing is on the move, nobody east of the old Downtown district is safe until we find it and stop it.” A task that was far easier said than done.

“No, Republic City needs our help now more than ever, I'm not going call everybody back so long as we're still able to do some good out there. But I _am_ going to warn them of the situation and begin evacuating Air Temple Island of whoever's left. Right now, the best way that the Air Nation can avoid this Chi Eater's detection is to do as we've been doing and scatter ourselves to the winds, helping out around the city as much and as thinly spread as possible. The less people on Air Temple Island right now, the better.” Tenzin explained, looking over at Lin, hoping that his assistance here was no longer required. There was a lot that he had to go fill the other Airbenders in on and a lot of people he had to oversee the evacuation of. It wouldn't be easy finding temporary shelter for them, but... like he'd said, the less concentrated they were right now, the better. He _had_ to protect his people.

“Go, your family needs you more than I do. You're just taking up space here.” The Chief replied, showing about as much in the way of legitimate concern as she was capable of. He'd done enough here for one day – he had his family and a fledgling Air Nation to worry about now. Before Tenzin could leave, however, Korra stopped him and gave him a brief hug. He wasn't the only one that was worried about the Airbenders, and he also wasn't the only one who was going to be doing everything in their power to defend them – Korra was just going to be doing it from out here, tracking this thing down and putting an end to it before it ever reached his shores.

“I'll stop this thing before it ever reaches Air Temple Island, Tenzin. I promise.” Korra said.

“Be careful, Korra. We still don't know the full extent of this spirit's power. Even for the Avatar, this will be no easy task.” The old master warned, concerned for the young Avatar's well being.

“I know, don't worry. You just focus on handling the Air Nation – I'll take care of the Chi Eater. After all, I beat Vaatu, right? And he was the spirit of eternal darkness and chaos. This isn't my first dance with an evil spirit.” Korra replied with a smile, hoping to boost the dejected Airbender's morale a little more. She was nervous, too, but... she was the Avatar, this was all a part of the job description. She could do this. She knew she could.

Letting the Airbender go, once he exited the room, Lin immediately returned things to business as usual. Now that they had a better idea of just what it was they were up against, it was time to formulate a strategy. “So, Avatar, what's the battle plan?” She asked. Korra thought for a moment. Most normal forms of bending were ineffective against spirits, minor distractions to them at best, but even distractions could be useful if utilized properly. However, it was no secret that if they were going to be trying to take one down, Korra was going to be the key. Whatever plan they came up with, she would invariably be at the center of it.

“I'm... not entirely sure, to be honest. Fighting a spirit isn't anything like fighting a bender. Most attacks won't phase them and they aren't completely tangible. They can walk through walls, destroy machines from the inside out, possess humans and have incredible speed and strength. Sometimes, they can even turn their own chi and spiritual energy into a weapon, like Vaatu, or what Kuvira replicated with that cannon of hers.” Korra explained in brief. Lin had never fought a spirit, herself, but Korra's description wasn't exactly psyching her up for the challenge. It sounded like a pretty one-sided battle, to her.

“But that isn't to say that they can't be stopped. If a number of benders can manage to distract it for long enough and can manage to contain it, then I can bend the spirit's energy with the purification technique I learned from Unalaq, restoring its internal balance of positive and negative energy, which should pacify it and send it back into the spirit world.” The emphasis being on the word “should”. There were a lot of things that this spirit already “should” have been but wasn't, and Lin wasn't going to take any chances. “Should” wouldn't cut it.

“And what if that doesn't work? We already know that this is no ordinary spirit. What if there's no imbalance to be fixed or nothing to be purified? What if your spiritual mumbo jumbo doesn't cut it?” Korra fell silent, closing her eyes and thinking it over, Mako and Bolin turning their heads to her while waiting for an answer. If Unalaq's technique didn't work, then yeah, that would be bad. She wasn't entirely sure what to do then. Given the way that the Chi Eater's actively tried to avoid the Avatar and never made any demands to the people or villages it's attacked, but rather just showed up and began to kill people and eat their chi, she got the feeling she wouldn't be able to reason with it and convince it to stop.

It may have been lashing out like a dark or out of balance spirit, but it was acting like one that was fully aware of what it was doing. If that was the case and the Chi Eater simply wanted to kill people for whatever reason, then she'd have no choice but to fight it head-on. But if that were to happen, could she actually defeat it, or destroy it? Did the Avatar actually have that kind of power? Even Vaatu couldn't be destroyed completely. Wan had opted to seal him away for 10,000 years and Korra had managed to use Unalaq's technique to draw Raava out of him and defeat him temporarily, but one day, he was destined to return. Did that go for _all_ spirits? Or was Vaatu just a special case, because of his other half, Raava?

She could always _try_ to lure it into the Spirit World and seal it away in the Tree of Time, but she didn't think that she'd be able to contain it long enough to take it there, and it definitely wouldn't follow her, which meant that her only other choice would be to face it directly and give it her best shot. If she entered the Avatar State and had some assistance from Raava, then _maybe_ an attack bending all four elements simultaneously would be enough to destroy it, similar to what an Avatar State Aang once tried to do to Fire Lord Ozai before opting to take his bending away, instead. But that was a big maybe. It was a gamble, but it was the best thing that she could come up with. Opening her eyes, she finally replied.

“...If that doesn't work... it's a gamble, but if I were to enter the Avatar State and receive some assistance from Raava, then it _might_ be possible for me to destroy it. Forever.” Or, so she theorized. To her knowledge, it had never been done before, so for all she knew it _could_ be impossible, but if the purification technique didn't work, then it was her only hope. Initially, the Avatar was created to keep balance between humans and spirits and to ensure that they respected one another and existed together in harmony, but sometimes that just wasn't possible, and in such times, the Avatar would need to have the power to do whatever they had to in order to maintain balance.

It stood to reason, then, that if reasoning with it, beating it back and even attempting to purify it didn't work, that the Avatar would have power enough to outright destroy a spirit, effectively erasing it from existence – an Avatar's last resort, you could say. If she and Raava acted as one and the Spirit of Balance lent Korra her strength, then it might just be possible. After all, spirits may not have felt threatened by humans, but they could feel threatened by other spirits, which meant that they _could_ die. It's just that no ordinary human could ever hope to kill one, even with their bending. Maybe Korra couldn't, either, but she wasn't an ordinary human, so if anybody _could_ , then it probably would be her. She just hoped she didn't ever have to find out. Like she'd said, it was a gamble, but if all else failed, it would be her only hope.

A grave look adorned the brothers' faces while Lin stared Korra straight on, stonefaced, her eyes doing all the talking and expressing that she needed. After what the Chi Eater did to her cops, she was determined to bring this thing to an end by any means necessary, even if that meant literally ending it. Besides, after killing humans for a thousand years for seemingly no other reason than its own enjoyment, in Lin's eyes, such an ending only seemed fitting. Deep down, part of her kind of hoped that Korra's purification technique failed, just as deep down, part of Korra kind of expected it to – like Lin had said, this was no ordinary spirit. A thousand years would be a long time to remain out of balance, even if you _could_ theoretically exist forever. In the back of her mind, she already knew how a battle with the Chi Eater was likely going to end.

“Very well.” Lin finally replied, satisfied by Korra's answer. Perhaps more important even than a last resort was the resolve to actually go through with it if push ever came to shove, and from what she could see in the Avatar's eyes, Korra had that resolve, and that was good enough for her. Gamble or not, in a worst case scenario, it was the best chance they had of taking this thing down. She just had to make sure that Korra was willing to give it a shot and have that proverbial – or not-so-proverbial – blood on her hands. “In either case, we'll assemble a team of talented benders with you at its core, and begin scouring the city for this thing immediately. Then, once we find it, we'll bring it down. _Hard_.” She described. When she put it that way, it almost sounded simple, but all four of the benders gathered there knew better.

“Actually, Chief, we think it might be a better idea to just focus on the Arena and beefing up security for tonight's premiere, instead.” Mako interjected, Lin glancing over in the young Firebender's direction. “Given the level of strategy this thing has demonstrated in the past, we think it's possible that the Chi Eater might know about the mover premiere tonight and could be planning to stage an ambush. I find it odd that it'd stay in Dragon Flats for over 3 days only to run off toward Yue Bay the night before the Arena is slated to be packed with thousands of potential targets.” Lin's eyes narrowed. He had a point, the timing WAS suspect.,,

“Yeah, we were thinking that we should head down there and start setting up security now, make sure we get everything covered. It's pretty early in the day, but for all we know it could already be there, lying in wait like a tigerdillo in the grass scanning the plains for its next meal.” Bolin colorfully described. “So, Mako suggested we head down there and set up now, let Korra do a sweep of the place and see if she can't sense anything out of the ordinary.” Looking over to Mako and Korra for confirmation, the two nodded, prompting the Chief to let out a sigh. So it was either search the city immediately east of where it was last seen and hope that they could track it down, or do a sweep of the Arena and begin setting up security and fortifying defenses _now_ in preparation for a potential future attack, huh?

She had to admit, it _was_ far more likely that this thing would hit the Arena than stage another random attack in the middle of the city, but at the same time, she didn't like the idea of it potentially walking around out there uncontested because they'd poured all of their focus into a one-off event. Yes, the Arena held a lot of people and would need a ton of security regardless, but she wasn't sure if she should be making that her number one priority so long as this thing was on the loose. She felt like that may have been assuming too much. If she did that and it ended up taking the life of even one more person in the city instead, completely ignoring the mover premiere altogether, she would never forgive herself. Of course, there was always another option...

“I think that while Korra searches the Arena and we begin setting up security for tonight, you should issue an A.P.B. and increase patrols in the areas closest to Yue Bay and the Eastern Harbor, as well as the whole eastern side of Dragon Flats. That way, we can cover all of our bases and–”

“Absolutely not.” Lin interrupted, catching Mako off guard. “The last time I sent my officers after this thing, it killed three of them. I am _not_ throwing my people into the line of fire like that again. Korra said it herself, this is not an enemy any normal bender could take on. The Chi Eater should not be engaged unless the Avatar is present.” She explained, glancing briefly in the Water Tribe girl's direction. Korra's look softened. She understood where Lin was coming from. Whatever path she chose, she wanted to be the one leading the charge and to bear the brunt of the risk. 

She didn't want her police force out and about looking for a killer spirit without her there to jump in the way and bail them out if things got sticky, but she also didn't want to disregard Raiko's orders and risk the safety of the mover attendees by failing to personally oversee the Arena set up and checking its security for any holes herself. She wanted to feel in control of an out of control situation and to make sure that nobody else died because of her actions, or lack thereof. Korra understood how Lin was feeling, but she also understood that she was overworking herself and starting to let her emotions cloud her judgment. The veneer of cool professionalism and military-like discipline was slowly chipping away.

“I'm not saying that you should let them engage it, just have them keep their eyes open and report back to you if they see anything. All of the department's cruisers are outfitted with portable radio communicators now, right? Just keep one with you while we set up for the premiere. This way, if anything happens, we can head out and take it on immediately.” Mako finished, defending his position. Well, it _seemed_ like a solid enough plan. Like he'd said, all of the old and new police cruisers were now outfitted with radio communicators, courtesy of Future Industries, so it was a lot easier to coordinate things like this now. Even still, if anything else happened to her men because of one of her orders, she...

Most of the time, it wouldn't bother her. She'd just consider this to be their job, a risk they'd agreed to take when they signed up to join the police force. But this was different. If she did this, she would be ordering them to hunt down an enemy she knew full well they had no hope of defeating, one that could kill them in a matter of seconds if it ever caught wind of them or what they were doing. If anybody else died, it would be because Lin had personally sent them to their deaths, and that... that was not something she was willing to live with. As a result, she found herself between a rock and a hard place. She knew what the best course of action was, but she didn't want to be personally responsible for the loss of anymore of her own people. 

“I think this might be our best plan of attack right now, Lin.” Korra affirmed, giving the Police Chief a sympathetic look. She knew exactly what Lin was thinking, but now wasn't the time. “I know that you're still blaming yourself for what happened last night, but this is their job. This is _your_ job. We're going to need to cover all of our bases if we're going to have any hope of stopping this thing.” She explained. And she was right. The Police Chief in Lin _knew_ she was right. But that didn't make this any easier of a decision to make. No matter what she chose, the risk was the same. 

If Korra was right and this thing was lying in wait at the Arena, then if she opted to go on a spirit hunt, she'd be sending Mako and her Metalbenders to their deaths. But if it was still out prowling the streets instead, then if she opted to set up security at the Arena like she had been ordered to, she'd be sending more of her officers to _their_ deaths. To say that it was a difficult decision would be an understatement, but it was one that she had to make. One way or another, she had to take that risk and put her faith in her men, even the newbies. She would have to trust them with this. 

Inhaling deeply, she resolved herself to a path, exhaling and looking in Mako's direction. Right now, that Arena was just _begging_ to be attacked. It would have to take precedence. She would have to leave the search to her cops until she was certain that the Arena was clear and everything was put in place for the premiere. “Fine. I'll put out an All-Points Bulletin and make it clear just how dangerous what they're looking for actually is and that they are to report, not engage. In the meantime, the four of us will set up security in the Arena for tonight's premiere.” Lin caved, rising from her desk to go give the order. 

“You three go on ahead while I let everybody downstairs know what's going on and gather up my Metalbenders. Tonight, we're going to make that Arena the single safest place in this city.” She declared, the three gathered in front of her giving her a “Yes ma'am!”, following her out the door and then breaking off to head out to the Pro Bending Arena.

****

***** *** *** *** *** *** *****

After having gathered everybody that was currently on the island into one place, Tenzin explained the situation in the city to the Airbenders and the Acolytes, his family and Kai situated in the front row. He told them of what he had discovered last night and had corroborated with reports from around the world with the help of Lin and her department. He explained how a rogue spirit was running amok in the city and killing people by sucking the chi out of their bodies, and how it had managed to avoid the Avatar for more than a thousand years by constantly changing locations and lying dormant for decades at a time. He also explained how it was now leaving its previous hunting grounds in Dragon Flats and heading East toward Yue Bay and the rest of the city, and more importantly, toward the Arena and Air Temple Island.

“We currently have no idea where it's hiding or where exactly it might be heading to, we just know that it's on the move and that it will remain active for another 3 and a half weeks before it falls dormant again and disappears. Until we find it and put a stop to it, no one is safe. As a result, I am putting the entirety of the Air Nation on high alert and will be warning those currently active in the city to stay on their toes and report any unusual spirit sightings directly to me or Avatar Korra.” He warned. Even if the Air Nation _was_ made up of fighters, which it wasn't, this was not an enemy that they should be engaging. It was too dangerous, too one-sided. Airbenders alone – even a large group of them – would not be enough to take down a spirit.

While Ikki, Pema and the majority of the Acolytes and those gathered there appeared to be worried, Meelo looked to be as determined as ever, almost as though he was hoping for a chance to fight it, while Bumi gave Bum-Ju a confused glance, the small, rabbit-like spirit chirping something in a language only Bumi understood. Meanwhile, Jinora gave her father a look of both worry and confusion, prompting her boyfriend Kai to give _her_ a worried look in return. She'd never heard of a spirit acting out like that before. They could be snooty and hold great disdain for humans, yes, but they didn't just attack unprovoked like that, at least not in the Physical World. And the fact that the Avatar never knew about them... like Korra before her, Jinora wasn't so sure. Too much wasn't adding up. This just seemed _too_ irregular.

“And you guys think a _spirit_ is behind all of this?” She asked. The look in her eyes was the same one that Tenzin had seen in Korra's back at the precinct. He understood her skepticism, but all of the evidence pointed in a spiritual direction. Paradoxically enough, as little as it may have made sense, it was still the only thing that made sense.

“It's looking that way, yes.” Tenzin replied. “The description we received from an eyewitness to one of its attacks last night sounds exactly like a dark spirit, like what we encountered back during Harmonic Convergence. Given how long these killings have been taking place however, it's unlikely that this spirit is related to Vaatu but instead became corrupted by some other means a long, long time ago – or worse, it's fully cognizant of what it's doing and is acting of its own volition. Either way, given that attacks have been reported every 25 years for over a millennium, a spiritual culprit is the only thing that makes sense.”

Jinora remained unconvinced. She agreed that it probably wasn't Vaatu related, but she refused to believe that a spirit would do something like this of its own accord. She also found it incredibly unlikely that a spirit could remain out of balance for so long, she felt like it would have destroyed itself by now if that were the case. Spirits were beings primarily made up of chi and spiritual energy, so if that was thrown out of balance for long enough, then she assumed it was possible that they would just grow more and more unstable until they dissipated into the void, or perhaps even ripped apart violently in an explosion of spiritual energy, like what had happened with Kuvira's Spirit Vine Cannon when Korra had resisted and bent its energy around her. She honestly didn't know if it was possible for a spirit to be thrown out of balance for a thousand years and _still_ remain intact. 

No matter how she looked at it, the Chi Eater being a spirit just didn't make any sense. But at the same time, she couldn't think of anything else that could be doing what her father had described, either. Much like Korra before her, she was conflicted, but the more she thought about it, the more she found herself siding with the spirit explanation. I mean, what else could it possibly be? A thousand years... 

Sensing her frustration, Kai placed his hand on his girlfriend's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, clearly a little scared by what Tenzin had described, but retaining his composure regardless, trying his hardest to put on a brave front. “Try not to worry too much about it. Spirit stuff is mostly the Avatar's job, you know?” He said. Jinora supposed he was right, but she couldn't help but feel as though this was partially her burden to bear, as well, given her natural affinity for spirits. Maybe she should do some investigating herself, and see if she couldn't dig up something her father may have missed?

Meanwhile, as Kai tried to ease Jinora's mind and she continued to mull over alternate explanations and ways in which she could help, Bumi and Bum-Ju appeared to be discussing something at length at a low enough volume as to not grab everybody's attention, but loud enough to attract Tenzin's. “Does Bum-Ju know something?” The Airbending Master asked, bringing an end to his older brother's and the spirit's conversation.

“Nope, sorry. Bum-Ju says he's never heard of this “Chi Eater” before.” Bumi shrugged. Tenzin's expression sunk slightly. That was disappointing, he was hoping maybe a spirit would have a better idea of what they were up against or why this Chi Eater would be attacking humans, but it seemed that at least Bum-Ju was as in the dark as they were about this thing. “He does seem to be worried about it though. He says that if this thing can eat people's chi like you said, then it can eat other spirits, too.” He explained. Is that why the spirits had deserted Dragon Flats? Were they afraid of it growing bored of humans and eating them, too?

“But if this thing is a spirit, how could Bum-Ju not know about it? Especially if it's been causing trouble for so long?” Ikki asked, confused. “I mean, wouldn't spirits talk about this sort of thing with each other? Wouldn't this thing be like a legend to them or something?” Bumi just shrugged. How was he supposed to know? He wasn't some super wise spiritual guru, he was just a retired naval commander who'd learned how to Airbend and befriended a dragonfly bunny.

“Bum-Ju's a relatively young spirit and spent most of his time in the physical world playing with the other dragonfly bunnies at the Eastern Air Temple.” Jinora explained. Perhaps his relative youth explained why he couldn't speak human languages like older spirits could, too? “If this thing is as old as dad claims _and_ it has the ability eat other spirits like Bum-Ju says it might, then I'm sure that the spirits _must_ know about it. He just wouldn't know because he's spent more time in our world and with humans than his world and other spirits.” Well, it was a possibility, one that neither Bumi or Bum-Ju seemed to be refuting. The spirit in question did seem to be a bit more worried now after Tenzin's explanation, though, enough so that he was beginning to make Bumi worry, albeit for other reasons.

“What do you mean you're leaving the city? ...You don't think it's safe here anymore? So what, are you just going to run away again!?” Bumi asked, the blue dragonfly bunny chirping something in response. Bumi's expression sunk. “You're too much of a worry wart, you know that? Korra took care of that giant metal monster a few months back, I think she can take care of a single crazy spirit! ...No, I'm _not_ putting too much faith in the Avatar, _you're_ putting too little! ...Of course I think we should do something! We're Airbenders, we help people! ...I'm not crazy, you're crazy! ...Fine then, run away if you're so scared! See if I care! While you go run and hide like a little baby, I'm gonna stay here, figure out a way to beat this thing, and then fight it like a man!” 

While Bumi argued with his spirit companion, everybody else just fell silent, looking at each other and then back to the two of them. As their argument came to a close, Bum-Ju crossed back into the Spirit World for safety and disappeared while Bumi crossed his arms in a huff, clearly upset. “...What are you all looking at?” He asked in frustration, everybody's gaze awkwardly shifting back to Tenzin. Unfortunately for Bumi, however, Bum-Ju and his brother appeared to be on the same page.

“Actually, I think Bum-Ju is on the right track with this one, Bumi.” Tenzin disappointedly explained. What did he mean Bum-Ju was on the right track? They were just going to run away? “I was thinking it over back at the precinct, and if this thing is attracted to benders, then I think the worst thing we could do right now is continue to harbor so many Airbenders on Air Temple Island at once. I believe we should evacuate the island and spread ourselves throughout the city, perhaps help out with reconstruction and relief efforts even more than we already have been until the Chi Eater is taken care of and it's safe to begin staying on the island again. So long as this thing's loose within the city, especially near Yue Bay, we should avoid Air Temple Island as much as possible and seek temporary shelter elsewhere in the city.”

The gathered crowd of Airbenders and Acolytes began murmuring amongst themselves, about half of them agreeing with Tenzin while the rest questioned whether anywhere in the city was safe and if they shouldn't just try and fight this thing head on, Bumi ultimately allying himself with the latter crowd. He'd faced spirits before during Harmonic Convergence, so he knew they weren't exactly easy to fight, but he was an Airbender now and this was just one measly little spirit, not a whole encampment of them. The way he saw it, running away with their tails between their legs would be sending the wrong message and they would be better served standing together as a united front and beating this thing back if it ever came near. It was an incredibly risky stance to take, but one that made more sense to a former military commander.

But the fact of the matter was that even an army of Airbenders probably wouldn't be able to take down a spirit, making a direct confrontation with the Chi Eater less than ideal. Air wasn't necessarily the most destructive element and would probably do very little to hinder an amorphous semi-tangible supernatural entity capable of conjuring shock waves with its screams, eating people's chi and tanking attacks from three Earthbending patrol officers simultaneously. The best they would be able to do would be to act as support for Korra when the time came for her to confront the Chi Eater, not to risk the existence of the Air Nation by stubbornly refusing to leave their island when it's in a rogue spirit's potential line of fire. And Tenzin wasn't the only one who thought so.

“I dunno, running away sounds like a pretty good strategy to me. Heck, it's one of my favorites!” Tenzin recognized that voice almost immediately, his eyes reflexively narrowing as soon as it had loudly asserted itself over the quieter murmuring of the crowd, bringing the arguments and conversations of those gathered to a halt. Was that...?

“Varrick? What are _you_ doing here!?” Tenzin asked. The Southern Water Tribe billionaire in question stood up from his sitting position at the back of the crowd with an eager grin, a bespectacled brunette woman also standing up right next to him. Making his way through the crowd with a steady oscillation of “Excuse me” and “Pardon me”, while Varrick carefully stepped over and between the Airbenders and Acolytes, his wife Zhu Li opted to take the easier route and simply walked around them, a thought that apparently hadn't occurred to him before. Well, too late to turn back now! Making his way to the front of the crowd to formally greet the Airbending Master, he also waved hello to the confused islanders he'd just walked through before explaining himself.

“Right, sorry about that! Originally I came here to speak with you, but you didn't even notice that I'd arrived, you were too busy marching everybody out here in the courtyard for some big announcement or something. I was just gonna come back later instead, but I got caught up in the crowd, so I figured I might as well join them! And man oh man, Tenzin, even when the story is interesting, terrifying and completely true, you _still_ somehow manage to make it boring. You should really work on your storytelling skills, they leave much to be desired.” Varrick briefly explained. Tenzin sighed. He could already feel a migraine coming on. 

“Anyway, like I was saying, given everything you just said, running away actually sounds like a pretty good idea. You don't become as successful of a businessman as I am by stubbornly fighting for every idea you have and attempting to surmount every challenge. Heck no! Some fights just can't be won! That's why you've gotta know when to just cut your losses and vamoose before you end up next in line at the buffet table for some hungry spirit. Now, I don't know why this Cheater thing wants to go around using its spirit powers to suck out people's souls or whatever, but if you ask me, gathering a whole bunch of Airbenders on a dinky little rock floating in the middle of the bay with no quick and easy rescue or escape routes is just _begging_ for trouble.” Of course, nobody _was_ asking him. In fact, nobody knew why he was even here in the first place. He mentioned something about wanting to speak with Tenzin?

Nevertheless, his sudden intrusion appeared to have had an effect, as unexpected as it was. Or maybe that's why it had an effect? It kind of threw everybody for a loop. How did they miss that giant blue yacht in the harbor before? Well, whatever the case, Varrick and Tenzin were right – there would be a time and a place to stand their ground, but it wasn't here and it wasn't now. As the industrialist had pointed out, Air Temple Island was small, and isolated, and if things went south, it wouldn't exactly be easy to leave. Sure, they could fly, but they'd be up against a spirit – who's to say that it couldn't fly, too? And reinforcements? It'd be a little difficult getting them across the bay before an angry spirit wiped them all out.

No matter how you looked at it, staying there would be a terrible strategy, especially if it was attracted to benders. Even if only half of the island's populace were Airbenders, sticking a whole bunch of them in one place at one time would just make it that more appealing a stop for a ravenous Chi Eater looking for a midnight snack. If it really did like benders, then why would it go through all the trouble of dealing with a giant mixed crowd of people in an arena when you can just scoot over a little bit to the south and nab a whole bunch of Airbenders at once with little chance of escape or interference? To stay and fight would be tantamount to suicide.

“Come on, I didn't become Commander of the United Forces' Second Division by giving up whenever the going got a little tough! Why, I remember there was this one time me and my men were outnumbered and outgunned 6 to 1 and our ship had just suffered a catastrophic blow. We were taking on water fast and things seemed completely hopeless, but even still, we–” Aaaand nobody was listening to him anymore. Bumi sighed. “Oh, why do I even bother?” He asked nobody in particular, sitting back down. Seemed that everybody else was content with a strategic retreat now, much to his chagrin. 

Personally, he still believed that with a good enough strategy, a bit of elbow grease and a pinch of luck, they could easily take this thing on, but it appeared that he was the only one – except for Meelo, anyway, who still seemed to support his uncle's plan of attack. But two Airbenders did not an army make. “Well, it looks like we're gonna be going for the stereotypical Airbender “avoid and evade” strategy this time, kiddo.” He defeatedly explained. Well, those were Airbenders for you. But at least they'd get to live to see another day.

Varrick shook his head. That guy and Tenzin were related? He never would've guessed. Looking back to the de facto head of the Air Nation, the monk still seemed to be confused as to why Varrick was here, never mind a little shocked he was actually supporting his “cut and run” strategy, as Varrick had described it. What's more, his vocal support and additional round of explanation (which was basically just repeating what Tenzin was saying in a more energetic manner) actually seemed to have an effect. As lost as he was, Tenzin had to admit, he was actually somewhat thankful Varrick showed up when he did – he hadn't expected that much of a discussion on the matter, he thought it would've been pretty cut and dry. He guessed a lot of people just considered this place home now and wanted to defend it.

“Not that I don't appreciate your help, but why are you even here right now?” He asked, directing his question to Varrick only to have it picked up by Zhu Li, instead.

“We actually wanted to invite you and your family to that mover premiere tonight, but given the circumstances, maybe we came at a bad time. We're sorry for the interruption.” Zhu Li apologized on her husband's behalf, though the eccentric business tycoon couldn't appear to disagree more.

“Nonsense, these are perfect circumstances! Tenzin needed a vote of confidence and he's basically telling everybody else to skedaddle anyway, he might as well take his own advice and live a little for once! I've already invited Su-Yin, Lin, Raiko, Korra, Asami, Mako, Bolin... heck, I even got Ravi to agree to show up, and he's almost as big of a stick in the mud as you are!” Varrick declared, the 'you' in his last statement being Tenzin, of course. The Airbender sighed. Is that what this was all about?

“I appreciate the offer, but now isn't really the best time. You heard what I was saying about the Chi Eater, right? If you ask me, that whole event should be canceled and postponed until we get this mess sorted out.” Tenzin explained.

“Are you kidding me? After all the time and hype the city's sunk into this thing? They wouldn't cancel that premiere if Kuvira came back with another mech suit twice as big as her last one! 'Sides, this city could use a little pomp and circumstance given everything that's been going on recently, no? And hey, if that Cheater thing is attracted to crowds like you say, then the more powerful benders I have around me and Zhu Li, the better! As it stands, I've already got a family of Metalbenders, a Lavabender, a Lightningbender, one heck of an Earthbender, and the freakin' Avatar – why not add in a family of Airbenders, too? I've got a pretty big balcony to fill!” Varrick exclaimed. “Just think of it this way – if that thing DOES show up, it'll be signing its own death warrant. There's no way it can take us all on, spirit or no spirit. And if it doesn't? You get to relax a little and follow your own advice. It's a win-win situation, no?” Well... he _might_ not have been wrong?

Like Varrick had pointed out before, Tenzin was telling everybody else to leave the island and help out in the city – why not take his own advice and help out during the premiere? If nothing happens, it's a good way to relax, and if the Chi Eater shows up, it'd give him the chance to help set things back to normal and take it down. And he had to admit, with everybody Varrick had assembled and Lin's Metalbending Corps., the Arena really was shaping up to be the safest place in the city tonight, anyway. Maybe he'd take him up on his offer after all – his kids had been bugging him to take them to see a mover for ages, anyway.

“Well, maybe. If I can get the word out to the rest of the Air Nation about the current situation and have the island fully evacuated in time, I suppose I could swing by...” Tenzin thought aloud, stroking his beard. It was about as close to a 'yes' as Varrick was going to get, but it worked for him – and Ikki and Jinora as well, the sisters' faces immediately lit up upon hearing their father's confirmation. All the more reason to help out around here!

“Great, I'll take it!” Varrick exclaimed. With that, he'd acquired the full set – he'd invited everybody that he'd been hoping to and had happened to receive some generally positive responses in the process! Now all he had to do was hope that they actually showed up to the premiere and he would be golden. “I'll see you tonight at the Arena, then! Zhu Li, let's go – I've got some callouses to take care of and a new suit to pick up before I step anywhere _near_ an event as public as this one!” And with that, he marched off back toward his yacht, Zhu Li trailing close behind, being sure to wish Tenzin and his family a more proper farewell first, once again apologizing for their intrusion. _One_ of them had to be more mindful of social conventions, after all, and Varrick just had way too much energy for that sort of thing. One of the many compromises of a relationship, one supposed.

“Do you really mean it, daddy? Are we really going?” Ikki asked, practically hopping up and down at this point. Tenzin sighed, smiling. How could he say no to that? It was technically a bigger target, but also probably safer than staying here would be. He might as well.

“If we can get everything taken care of in time, then yes – we'll go.” He replied, Ikki squealing in celebration. While not quite as energetic as her little sister, Jinora couldn't help but smile, while Meelo remained more-or-less indifferent to the whole thing, at least on the surface – inside he was about as excited as Ikki, he was just trying to act cool in order to maintain his 'image'.

“Can Kai come with us too?” Jinora asked. It almost seemed as though Tenzin winced when she asked that. Deep down, he was still the same old overprotective father he always was, and he still wasn't entirely keen on the idea of his little girl being in a relationship so young. But what could he do? She was happy. Before he could get the chance to respond, however, Pema had already taken care of it for him.

“Of course dear, Kai is always welcome to join us.” Her mother affirmed, Jinora's smile growing wider as she turned and gave the boy to her left a hug.

“He is? Oh, I mean, uh, he is! Yes! Of course!” The Airbending Master corrected, his wife's glare telling him almost instantly that he'd already lost this battle. That wasn't to say he wasn't still going to be keeping a close eye on those two, however...

“Well, you guys enjoy your mover, I'm gonna stay back and hold down the fort while you're gone. Even if all the other Airbenders leave, _somebody_ has to look after the place and make sure the island doesn't spontaneously sink into the sea, right? Besides, I don't much like movers and could use a little time to myself for a change. It's been forever since I've had some me time!” Bumi replied, Tenzin raising an eyebrow. Since when did Bumi ever enjoy “me time”?

“Aw, come on, Uncle Bumi!” Meelo complained, disheartened that his uncle wouldn't be joining them, but not enough to want to try and stay behind with him. Movers were still relatively new and Meelo hadn't gotten to see very many yet, but that was part of the reason why he liked them, they were a rare treat. To him, movers took precedence over goofing around with his uncle and fighting rogue spirits.

“Are you sure? I know that you were eager to stay and fight, but it _would_ be nice to have you with us. Besides, I'm not sure I like the idea of you having the entire island to yourself...” Tenzin worried. The retired commander shrugged, reasserting his position.

“Like I said, movers aren't for me. You guys go enjoy your night on the town, I'll find something else to do to occupy my time.” For example, setting up a bunch of booby traps and fortifying Air Temple Island's defenses himself in preparation for attack. Maybe this wasn't a war, but it was a battle, and leaving your base unprotected and unfortified was one of the biggest no-nos in the book! Like hell Bumi was going to slack off when there was so much work to be done! Also, he genuinely didn't like movers, or the theater for that matter. They just never really appealed to him. Now radio dramas, on the other hand...

“Well, if you really want to stay behind, then I suppose I can't stop you – _one_ Airbender probably isn't going to draw this thing's attention. Just try not to break anything while we're away. Or burn anything. In fact, just try to touch as little as possible. Please.” Tenzin begged, Bumi squinting his eyes in half-offense. After all this time, Tenzin still didn't trust him, huh? Yeah he was a little immature, but he could stand to ease up a little by this point, Bumi wasn't _that_ bad.

“You need to stop worrying so much Tenzin, I'll be fine. Besides, didn't you say we have an evacuation to manage? You're wasting time. Let's get this show on the road!” Even if he didn't entirely like the plan, he wasn't going to leave his brother and the kids to manage this whole thing alone. Besides, he was still going to be getting his way, in a sense, he'd just have to take care of the island and everything himself. Tenzin would thank him for it later, he was sure.

“Right. Jinora, Bumi, Kai, you three head into the city and begin getting the word out to the other Airbenders, see if you can't find Opal and Daw in the Western and Northern Districts and have them help you out – if the 5 of you split up, we should be able to get everybody up to speed in no time. Meanwhile, Ikki, Meelo, Pema and I will coordinate evacuation efforts on the island and start sorting out where the other Airbenders may be able stay for the time being. It's not going to be easy, but we'll figure something out. Perhaps we can send them back to their families in and around the city for a while.” Their orders received, the three Airbenders nodded in acceptance, opening up the wings of their glider suits and taking off while Ikki and Meelo flocked to their father's side, Pema stepping aside for a moment to put Rohan down for a nap as the three Airbenders immediately started getting to work with the crowd. There was no time to waste – they had a premiere to attend.

***** *** *** *** *** *** *****

Meanwhile, back at the arena, Korra, Lin, Mako and Bolin had arrived and begun putting their plan into action, splitting off into two groups in order to make maximum use of the time before the premiere. While Mako and Lin broke off to lead the Metalbending Corps. throughout the building and begin setting up protocols, checkpoints and positions for the night's event, Korra and Bolin would deal with the search for the Chi Eater, scouring the building to make sure it wasn't already there in hiding. Korra's plan was twofold, including both a physical sweep of the building and a not-so-physical Avatar sweep immediately afterward, and was currently about to enter stage two, the first stage of the search having come up clean.

She hoped that by meditating, similar to how she did when attempting to enter the Spirit World, she would be able to sense its spiritual presence if it was nearby. It wasn't something she could use over a very long range, however, and she still wasn't entirely sure about what it was she was looking for or what it would feel like exactly, but after spending over two months in the Spirit World, she felt as though she good enough idea of what a spirit's presence felt like to be able sense one if it was around, hiding or not.

Unfortunately, all of this required a certain amount of peace, quiet and focus – none of which Bolin was currently allowing her to have. “Well? Can you feel anything?” Bolin asked, Korra's eyebrow twitching in response. This had to have been the third time in 5 minutes he'd asked her that exact same question, and it was beginning to piss her off. She understood that he was a little freaked out and wanted to know whether or not this place was safe as soon as possible, but he was starting to go a bit overboard and get on her nerves. She'd never find _anything_ like this.

“Look, Bolin, I get that you're a little impatient, but if you don't leave me alone, I'm going to hit you.” She warned, a worried expression splashing across the Earthbender's face. Right, maybe he should let her be. Yeah, she'd been sitting there in the center of the ring for almost 10 minutes now, but he'd also been bothering her for each and every one of those. Maybe he'd be better off staying quiet for a bit, nodding silently in acknowledgment. Finally having the chance to actually relax and focus, Korra closed her eyes and started over _again_ , focusing her mind and spirit on the Arena, opening herself to the energy of the world around her.

In this sort of a state, she could see practically everywhere within, beneath and around the building, from Mako and Lin a few halls down, to the various Metalbenders being stationed around the Arena, to the workers setting up the screen for the mover at the edge of the ring, to Bolin, standing right next to her, but every single presence she saw and felt was 100% human – there was nothing nearby that felt even remotely like a spirit, let alone suspicious or unnatural. So unless the Chi Eater could somehow mask its presence from the Avatar – something she couldn't entirely rule out, but thought to be unlikely – she was beginning to think that this place was as clean as their physical search had indicated. Nevertheless, she took her time, going over the building a few more times to be sure and trying to see if she could see or feel _anything_ unusual, but there was nothing. The place was clean. However, there was one thing that caught her attention...

“...Somebody's coming, somebody I don't recognize.” She warned after a few solid minutes of silence that had felt like an eternity to Bolin, the rookie cop visibly becoming a little scared as he began looking around. “Somebody she didn't recognize”? Was it the Chi Eater? More Triad creeps? A new cop? Korra shook her head. Bolin was getting too worked up over this. “Don't worry, the Arena's clean, there is no “Chi Eater” here. Whoever's coming is 100% human.” She finished. Bolin let loose a sigh of relief. Well, at least there was that. But now he was _really_ curious – whose presence had Korra sensed? As the elevator on the blue end of the Pro Bending ring slowly moved upward, Korra stood up from her sitting position while Bolin raised his fists, ready to bend in self-defense if need be. He _really_ hoped it wasn't somebody who wanted to kill them...

Finally having reached the top of the ring, Korra and Bolin found themselves face-to-face a tall, fair-skinned man with bright blue eyes and hair to match – an avid user of Varrick's patented Varri-dye, no doubt – who, judging by the look of his clothes, appeared to be fairly wealthy. From his shoes to his suit, everything he was wearing looked to be new, name brand and more than a little expensive – everything, that is, except for the long, brown coat he wore over top and the deep red scarf wrapped tight around his neck. While Korra had no clue who this guy was, Bolin almost immediately began frothing at the mouth in excitement, stars in his eyes. The young Avatar cocked her head to the right and raised an eyebrow, waving her hand in front of Bolin's face as to try and get his attention, but to no avail – he was completely starstruck. Apparently, this was somebody important, at least to him.

“...? Is that the Avatar? My, my, I didn't expect to see you here _this_ early!” The blue-haired man exuberantly stated with a smile as he walked leisurely down the ring. Korra shifted her focus from Bolin to the newcomer, her eyebrow remaining raised in confusion. He was expecting her?

“Who are you?” She asked. She didn't recognize him? He looked a little surprised but, then again, she _had_ been MIA and in recovery in the South Pole throughout the majority of his career. Even his fame had its limits, he supposed.

“Ah, sorry, how rude of me – my name is Ryuuki, Ryuuki Ayatsurishi. I've heard a lot about you, Avatar Korra. It's nice to finally meet you face-to-face.” Ryuuki greeted, extending his arm as to request a handshake from the recently betrothed Avatar. Ryuuki? Wasn't that the guy President Raiko had mentioned earlier, the one whose mover was being premiered tonight and who was going to be donating some money to the city? Suddenly, Bolin's reaction made sense – she knew how much he loved movers and their stars, he probably idolized this guy. As her confusion gave way to a smile, she accepted the man's invitation and shook his hand.

“Oh, I didn't think we'd be bumping into you here – at least, not this early. I didn't think you'd show up until the actual premiere.” Korra explained, echoing Ryuuki's introductory statement of surprise. “But, it's nice to meet you.” She smiled.

“Eh, I usually swing by early in order to help the crew set up for my premieres. There aren't too many places in the world dedicated solely to showing movers yet, so usually we have to pick a big location like this and then outfit it ourselves, which can be pretty taxing and complicated stuff. I like to help out however I can.” He explained, smiling. “I'd heard from Varrick that you'd be attending tonight's event with your new fiancee, but I didn't expect to see you here this early, the premiere isn't until 8:00.” As she thought, the papers had already turned her and Asami's betrothal into the next big story – she reckoned _everybody_ knew by this point. Personally, Korra was trying to avoid reading or hearing any of it. Knowing Republic City's press, whatever they wrote would probably either piss her off, turn her red with embarrassment, or more likely, both. 

“I'm actually here on official Avatar business. Well, kind of. Chief Beifong wanted me to help her police force set up security for tonight's event since there's been a lot of trouble with the Triads lately. They wanted to swoop in and get everything done early and thought I might be able to scare off any troublemakers and help them cover everything since I used to do some Pro Bending here back in the day.” Well, she wasn't entirely lying? But she couldn't go telling anybody and everybody about the whole Chi Eater fiasco, she didn't want to start a panic – especially not tonight. She'd keep that bit to herself for now unless Tenzin or the Chief said otherwise.

“Oh? I feel safer already!” Ryuuki exclaimed. “It's nice to see the Avatar taking such a keen interest in these sorts of things, especially so soon after returning from vacation. A few people were thinking you'd ease yourself back into things slowly, but I guess that isn't really your style, huh?” Not really, no. Leaning slightly to his right to peer over at the rookie cop frozen in a trance behind Korra, Ryuuki narrowed his eyes. Was that...? “...Is that Bolin? As in, star of “Nuktuk: Hero of the South” Bolin? The _original_ mover star?” Ryuuki asked, an excited smile spreading across his face. Seemed Bolin wasn't the only one feeling a little starstruck right now, though Ryuuki seemed to be far more composed than “Nuktuk” was.

To be perfectly honest, Korra tended to forget that Bolin was actually pretty famous now because of that whole Nuktuk thing. It'd become a bit less common these days, but people still occasionally stopped him on the street, asking him for autographs or making some sort of reference to the mover, and sometimes the people who did so were pretty famous themselves. Case in point, she supposed. Korra had never seen Nuktuk though, so all the hype was completely lost on her; she still just saw Bolin as... well, Bolin. Her goofy friend, capable of a lot more than people normally gave him credit for. 

Ryuuki's question immediately snapped Bolin out of his trance, the Earthbender blinking for the first time in several minutes and raising his hands limply towards himself as if to point and confirm that he was actually the one who Ryuuki was talking about, the blue-haired man briefly raising his eyebrows as if to say “Yeah” in response. “O-oh, yes! Yes, I am! I am Bolin. I am _that_ Bolin. I was Nuktuk.” He stumbled, clearly feeling a little intimidated. Korra smirked. Even stars could get flustered, it seemed. 

Then again, Bolin never really thought of himself as much of a star. At least, not anymore. According to Mako and Asami, there was apparently a time when he completely owned it – which she guessed she saw a part of back during the whole Red Lotus incident at the Misty Palms Oasis – but these days he seemed to be much more humble about the whole thing. Usually, anyway. She assumed his time in Kuvira's army and seeing the Earth Territories changed him a bit. Faced with one of his own personal heroes, though? It was actually kind of hilarious, you'd never expect him to be as influential to a blossoming industry and art form as he actually was. It was like sometimes he forgot he was supposed to be famous.

“Sorry, I'm just... dude, I've seen all your movers. “Tales from Ba Sing Se”, “Amber Dawn”, “The Candle in the Dark”, “The Brawler” – you're amazing! Varrick was right when he said that movers could be so much more than just Nuktuk, and you've proved it.” Bolin blurted out, basically having a fanboy meltdown. Korra and Ryuuki both couldn't help but laugh, the man in the coat shaking his head. He wasn't _that_ great, and even if he was, he wouldn't be anywhere today if it weren't for Bolin's and Varrick's work on Nuktuk.

“I wouldn't be anywhere that I am now if it weren't for you. Nuktuk laid the groundwork for this – all of this.” Ryuuki explained, spreading his arms wide turning to motion to the large screen being set up at the far edge of the ring and the dozens of crew members setting up speakers and projectors all around the Arena for the impending premiere. “Movers may be more than just political statements now, but the industry wouldn't even exist if it weren't for you. I was hoping I'd get to meet you tonight, as well, get a chance to thank you personally. The universe moves in mysterious ways sometimes, doesn't it?” He asked, shaking the excited Earthbender's hand. That was two people he was looking forward to meeting at the premiere that he'd ended up meeting early. Seemed today was his lucky today. 

Bolin, meanwhile, was speechless, shaking Ryuuki's hand and then just looking at his own when it was over, vowing in his mind to never wash that hand again. He couldn't believe it. One of his heroes saw _him_ as a hero? This was like that time Fire Lord Zuko acknowledged his existence, or that time Toph complimented him on his Lavabending capabilities. With a look of flabbergasted joy on his face, Bolin turned to Korra, struggling to believe what just happened. “Did you hear that? Ryuuki was hoping to meet me! _Me_!” If Ikki were in Bolin's position, she'd probably have let out a “squee” of excitement by now. Hell, if this went on much longer, Bolin might end up doing that, too.

“Yeah, I heard. He was hoping to meet me, too.” Korra replied, her arms crossed and an amused grin on her face. So this is what Opal meant back at the wedding, when she was trying to explain how Bolin reacted to meeting Toph for the first time. It was even funnier to see in person than she'd imagined. “I'm surprised Toph didn't hit you if this is how you act around your heroes.” That old woman never was one for this sort of thing.

“No, but she did seem annoyed... but at least she complimented my Lavabending later on!” Well, if there was anything you could consistently count on Bolin to do, it was to try and look on the bright side of things. Korra shook her head. Well, at least Ryuuki seemed to be taking it in stride – in fact, he actually looked to be a little flattered. He probably got this reaction a lot from fans, but the respect between the two of them was mutual, so for all she knew, he may have been mentally freaking out about meeting Bolin, just as he was visibly freaking out about meeting Ryuuki.

“Anyway, it was nice to meet you, Ryuuki. Sorry for taking up so much of your time, I should let you get back to what you were doing. I guess I'll meet you again at the premiere later tonight?” Korra asked. She assumed he would be meeting a lot of Republic City's celebrities, likely through Varrick; he and Raiko probably had everything planned out ahead of time, like he did back at the harbor. But, they really should wrap this little encounter up – they still had to go let Lin and Mako know that the Arena was clear and help them finish setting up security. She and Bolin couldn't derp around here forever.

“Oh, it's no trouble at all! We're actually going to be sitting in the same balcony for the premiere tonight, so we'll have plenty of time to talk more later. It's a pretty big space, so I told Varrick he could invite whoever he wanted and he gave me a list of who he had in mind. As I thought, that guy knows some pretty interesting people.” Ryuuki mused. All of Republic City's biggest names and faces and the entirety of the esteemed Beifong family sans its matriarch, Toph, were going to be there. 

Famous as he was, even Ryuuki was feeling a little overwhelmed at the thought. He wasn't sure he'd ever been surrounded by so many other powerful benders before! Even if he got to meet Korra and Bolin a little early, he was still excited to get to meet Su, Lin, Tenzin and the President face-to-face later on, never mind the Avatar's new fiancee. Ms. Sato had done a lot to support the burgeoning mover industry on the side through her company. In Ryuuki's mind, she was as responsible for his success as Bolin and Varrick were. 

“Really? Varrick never said anything about that! SWEET!” Bolin exclaimed, almost leaping into the air out of excitement. Meanwhile, Ryuuki's face went from a smile to “oops”, the blue-haired man rubbing the back of his neck and giving a nervous laugh. Was that supposed to be a surprise?

“Ehehe, I guess he wanted to surprise everybody... oops...” Ryuuki apologized. “Ah, do me a favor and try and act surprised tonight when you see me! I don't want Varrick to know I let it slip. And don't tell anybody else, please!” He pleaded. Well, Bolin certainly wouldn't have any trouble with the first part, this whole encounter felt like a dream to him and he'd probably be just as excited to meet the guy for a second time. It was probably going to be a little bit harder to try and keep it secret himself now, but he thought he could manage it.

“Can do, sir!” Bolin replied with a salute while Korra just gave a simple nod. Nodding back in response, Ryuuki wished them luck with the security set-up and walked over to help the crew set up the large, half-raised mover screen they'd be using later in the evening. There was still more work to be done, including setting up the main projector, a few extra speakers, doing some sound checks, planning out crowd control with the Arena's employees and volunteers, and things of that nature, all of which he wanted to be a part of. 

If there was one thing that Ryuuki _wasn't_ , it would be ungrateful. The way he looked at it, these people gave him everything. Helping them out here and there with set-up for his movers was the least he could do to help those who helped him, and his decision to contribute a considerable portion of his own fortune to the people of the city that gave him a shot at stardom in the first place was no different. He didn't look at his success as something he deserved, he looked at it as an honor and a privilege, something he could use to help others. Giving back to Republic City, the place where he got his start, was the ultimate example of that. He felt like he could make a difference here, so that's what he was going to do.

While Ryuuki tended to the mover set-up, Korra hopped from the elevated ring in the center of the building to a balcony on the right with an Airbending boost, bringing Bolin along with her. Being in a relationship with an Airbender himself, he was starting to get used to all the flying and lighter-than-air jumping and stuff, making such a leap old hat to him by this point. Having sensed their locations while searching for the Chi Eater, Korra immediately headed for Mako and Lin's location, the Chief turning her head upon hearing the Avatar and her newest recruit walk down the long stone halls where she and her Chief Detective were currently organizing Metalbending Officers. “Finished already? What's the verdict?” Lin asked.

“All clear, Chief!” Bolin excitedly responded with a wave, noticing that his brother had been subconsciously holding onto his left arm again until he mentioned that the Arena was clear. His assured smile immediately gave way to a concerned frown. So getting back onto good terms with Korra wasn't enough, huh? Mako was way too stressed out for his own good, he was going to hurt himself if he kept this up. It already seemed like his scar was.

“The physical sweep was clean and I couldn't sense any strange spirits or presences or anything, I think we're good.” Korra smiled. Lin nodded, a look of relief flashing across Mako's face. Thank goodness. That was one problem solved, at least for now. “Have you heard anything back from your officers yet?” Korra asked.

“No. Aside from the fact that there seem to be fewer spirits than usual immediately around Yue Bay, nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. But their thinning numbers worries me. Previously this was only isolated to Dragon Flats, now it's really starting to spread... I'm beginning to think they might know something about this thing that we don't.” The Chief sighed. They left shortly before Kuvira attacked, too. They knew what she was planning and what that cannon of hers was capable of. Utilizing pure Spiritual Energy like that, there was no doubt in her mind that thing could've actually killed them, spirit or not. Given what she was up against, she was kind of wishing it hadn't been destroyed in that huge explosion.

Korra frowned, if only for a moment, her frown quickly giving way as an idea struck her. Why hadn't she thought of this sooner? “...Of course, the spirits!” The Avatar exclaimed. “I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner. If this thing is a spirit and it's scaring other spirits away, then they _must_ know _something_ about it. I should go find one and ask it if it's ever heard of this “Chi Eater” before. If it's been sticking to this 25 year schedule for a thousand years, then there has to be at least one spirit in this city old enough to have encountered it before.”

Mako slammed his gloved right hand into his forehead. Why hadn't _he_ thought of that? He's been sitting in an office chasing down leads for days, and it never once occurred to him to find and interrogate a spirit. ...Then again, a spirit probably wouldn't take the time to hear him out, so maybe it was for the best; he could be kind of impatient. Again, Lin nodded. She could always use more help setting up security around here, but Korra was only really here to look for the Chi Eater in the first place, this took precedence. Mako and Bolin _both_ lived here before. They should be more than enough to cover everything.

“Sounds like a plan. Bolin, you help Mako and I finish setting up for tonight. Korra, you go see if you can't find a spirit who'll be willing to talk about this “Chi Eater”. And here, take this,” Lin began, walking over to one of her officer's and requesting his portable radio communicator, which he then tossed over to Korra. She was surprised by just how small and portable it actually was – this thing could easily latch onto her belt and was barely bigger than her hand. It also had Varrick's name literally written all over it. As brilliant as that man was, he was also pretty vain. 

“Contact me as soon as you find something out, I want to be kept up-to-date on this thing at all times. If we catch a lead on where it's hiding, cornering it and destroying it becomes our top priority.” Destroy? As Korra had suspected, Lin was hoping to permanently put an end to this thing. Personally, Korra was still hoping it didn't have to come to that. Nevertheless, if it _did_ come down to it... she was ready. Nodding, she clipped the walkie talkie-like device to her belt, turning and running for the nearest exit from the building, making a bee line for the old Downtown District. If there was anywhere sure to have a lot of spirits she could talk to, it would be the new Spirit Wilds. She hoped.

***** *** *** *** *** *** *****

“So you're going to rebuild Avatar Korra park after all, huh?” Ravi asked, looking over the plans he had been presented by his boss as the two of them stood in what was once one of the most popular spots in all of Republic City. Once vibrant and alive, it was now vacant and dead, craters created by falling debris littering the once green grass and several tress having been uprooted or cut in two by blasts from Kuvira's Spirit Cannon. The stone paths and bridges were cracked and outright destroyed in many places and even the small river that cut through the park had stopped flowing halfway down the line, chunks of overturned earth and various other debris restricting its flow. 

Miraculously, however, the large statue of Korra that Asami had erected in its center from which its new name was derived was still perfectly intact – the entire area roughly 200 feet around it looking as though it had been completely untouched. It was enough to make Asami smile. It was almost as though Korra was still trying to do her best to protect the place even when she wasn't physically there to do it herself, as though her monument had become something of an avatar of the Avatar.

“Yeah. By the end of the city expansion plan, I intend for Republic City to have four major parks. Avatar Korra Park will remain where it's always been here in the old Downtown District due to its proximity to the new Spirit Portal and its popularity with the citizens and tourists, but I'm also planning on constructing three new parks in each of the newly expanding Northern, Eastern and Western districts.” Asami explained, continuing to think over names she could give to the three of them. She was already pretty sure she'd be naming at least one of them in honor of her father, likely the one in the Northern District closest to the new Future Industries Tower, but the other two were a bit more uncertain right now. 

She was thinking of perhaps building another Avatar Park, this one for Aang? Or maybe she could build one for Toph. She'd weigh her options and come back to it later – right now, restoring the former beauty of her favorite Park took precedence, not only because it was (and was named after someone) so close to her heart, but also because it made perfect economic sense for the city right now. They needed all the money they could get in order to help fund their expansion and reconstruction efforts, and the surrounding Spirit Wilds and nearby Spirit Portal were both pretty big tourist attractions, raking in a good number of yuans annually. Bringing back Avatar Korra park would attract more people and keep tourism in this part of the city alive and well, as well as give people back their old favorite place to relax, unwind, train and hang out with friends and family in.

“Should be doable.” Ravi replied with a smile, folding the proposed redesign back the way it was before and sticking it into his pocket, looking over the area immediately around them. “We have a lot of Earthbenders at our disposal right now, so filling up these craters and rebuilding the paths and bridges should be no problem. If we use our Earthbending to keep their roots and everything intact, we should be able to bring in some trees from around and outside the city to help replace the ones we've lost, and if we can get a few Waterbending volunteers, we should be able to restore the grass and the original state of the river in no time, as well.” He confidently explained, eager to get to work as soon as possible. 

All things considered, this would actually be a pretty easy project with their current resources, and the new statues and stone decorations she'd proposed seemed right up Ravi's alley. He could have this place back to the way it was in a week tops, maybe even better. Repairing what was already there – especially when sizable portions of it were still intact, however scattered – was easy. Building new things from scratch wasn't. The three new parks would probably take a good month or two of location scouting, planning, terrain manipulation and construction, never mind all the work they'd have to do in promoting them and coming up with ways to make them interesting attractions. Which was when an idea hit Ravi...

“...You know, I was thinking, why don't we build _four_ new parks, instead of three?” Asami raised an eyebrow. Four? “An idea just struck me. If we follow your rough drafts and create three new parks as-is, then when combined with Avatar Korra Park, we end up with Earth, Air, Water and Technology: Toph, Aang, Korra and your father, Hiroshi. In other words, 3 of the 4 elements and then Non-Benders and the ingenuity of mankind as a whole. What if we ran with this and constructed a fourth park in honor of our city's co-founder, Fire Lord Zuko? We could then promote them as a complete set. Avatar Korra Park already has a river running through it for the whole “Water” theme. I'm sure we could come up with something for the other elements.” The man explained, putting his thumb and index finger up to his chin in thought – a habit he and Asami had both picked up from Hiroshi.

“...Ravi, you're a genius.” Asami stated after mulling it over for a second, a wide smile stretching across her face. How didn't she think of this before? It was perfect! The idea alone practically promoted itself. The only question became – where could they locate this proposed Fire Lord Zuko park? As it stood, things were pretty evenly balanced between the Northern, Eastern and Western districts with Avatar Korra Park in the old Downtown District at the heart. Unless... “In that case, let's put this Zuko park in the Northern District a little bit further North of where I'd initially proposed my father's park and relocate that to Future Industries Tower itself, instead. With the way you've started designing it, it already seems like such a natural place and like a good blend of Nature and Technology – let's build a bona fide park around the building with the Tower and its Fountain as its centerpieces and completely envelop ourselves in that.” Asami excitedly explained, her second-in-command having an equally excited expression painted on his face, smiling just as wide as she was.

“You're the real genius here, Asami – that's brilliant. I _thought_ something was missing from the new Tower, I just couldn't really put my finger on it. Now I know what!” Ravi replied, the two of them giving each other a high five. This was going to be perfect. It was going to help drum up interest in Republic City again, give the even larger metropolis easier access to parks, _and_ it wouldn't be terribly taxing on any of their benders or hold up any other construction projects in the city! Since it was mostly just simple terrain manipulation, sculpting and beautifying, compared to the countless streets and bridges and buildings they still had to throw together in a couple years' time, this'd be a piece of cake.

“Yes, well, you're the one with the artistic background. I'll leave the actual art direction of each park and element to you. If there's one thing I'm not a genius at, it's interior and exterior design.” Or really, just design in general. Asami built things to be functional and practical first and foremost – she left the beautifying of major products to her employees, like Ravi. Thankfully, though, she had the best in the business. Ravi nodded, smiling, agreeing to those terms. Sounded like a project he could really sink his teeth into. As the two of them began going over the details, Asami stopped mid-sentence, raising an eyebrow and peering over Ravi's shoulder as a familiar face came running out of the surrounding wilds, looking to be in something of a hurry. Was that...?

“Korra?” Asami asked, surprised to see Korra all the way out here. Should she and Ravi be running, too? ...Was the Chi Eater nearby?

“Asami?” Korra asked, confused to see Asami all the way out here. Sliding to a stop, she tilted her head to the left. “What are you doing out here?” She asked, glancing over in Ravi's direction. Was this the “old friend” she'd heard so much about from Asami while the two of them were in the Spirit World? As Ravi turned to face her, she looked a little surprised – he was actually taller than Asami was, Korra was barely up to this guy's shoulders. Geez, talk about a giant... 

“Ah, you must be Avatar Korra. Asami has told me much about you over the years, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. My name is Ravi.” He greeted, shaking the shorter Waterbender's hand hello. Damn, he was tall... “Congratulations on your betrothal, by the way – I'm happy for you. Both of you. Just bear in mind, I've known Asami since she was a little girl running around in her father's factories watching Satomobiles get put together. She's almost like a little sister to me, so you make sure you take care of her, you hear? Otherwise, _I'll find you_.” He warned.

“Ravi!” Asami shouted, clearly a little annoyed. Korra couldn't help but break into a fit of laughter. Well, wasn't this a familiar scene? Was this how Asami felt when Korra's father told her almost the exact same thing? Who was laughing now, huh?

“Don't worry, she's in good hands. I'll be sure to take gooood care of her.” Korra smiled in response, teasing her fiancee who grabbed onto her face in an attempt to conceal her blushing and shook her head. Great, they were already hitting it off. These two were going to begin teasing her in tandem eventually, weren't they? “It's nice to meet you too; Asami's told me a lot about you as well, while we were on vacation. You said you've known her since she was a little kid?” Korra asked.

“Yes, her father took me into his company when I was about 16 or 17 years old. I was an orphan, but he gave me a place to work and stay, he said I had a lot of talent. Of course, this was before he found out I was a bender, later on...” Ravi trailed. As much as he thanked and looked up to Hiroshi in a lot of ways, his prejudices were something he would never fully understand. Apparently, he had moved beyond them by the end of his life, but... there was a lot that could've been different had he seen the light earlier than he did. It was unfortunate. Korra gave the tall Earthbender a concerned glance, snapping him back to attention. “...But that's all in the past. It's Asami's company now, and I'm happy to help out in any way I can. In fact, we were just discussing the rebuilding of your park here, and the construction of four new ones throughout the city.” He explained.

Four new parks, huh? Combined with the one named in her honor? Korra was impressed. One day back in the city and her fiancee was already keeping pretty busy and moving things right along, just as she'd expected. She gave the green-eyed girl a proud smile, thinking it would be a great idea – like the two of them had agreed, that would be sure to renew interest in Republic City both during and after its expansion. “That sounds pretty awesome, I can't wait to see what they look like when they're done. Asami's told me you're like some sort of artistic genius or something, so I've got some pretty high expectations.” She warned, giving the redheaded man a teasing grin and eyebrow wiggle that caused him to laugh.

“Did she now? Well, “artistic genius” may be overselling it a bit, but I have taken an interest in design, yes. I have a few ideas for the concepts we discussed, which I will elect to keep secret for the time being. I think you'll get something of a kick out of them when they're formally announced, though. Even if she isn't consciously thinking about you, this girl is still thinking about you.” Ravi shrugged. What did he mean by that? Korra had no idea what those discussed concepts were, so she had no clue, but when you think about it – the four elements and technology – the five parks together _could_ be seen as something of a representation of Korra and Asami as the Avatar and the Head of Future Industries, a Non-Bender. Even if they were named after other things and also fit the theme of Republic City as a whole, it didn't take too much of a leap to see it, though it was ultimately Ravi who suggested the last park to complete the pattern. Korra and Asami, however, didn't really get the insinuation, even though one of them helped plan them.

“Anyway, I should go start drawing up some rough sketches for what these new parks are going to look like and then hand these reconstruction plans over to one of our teams. We'll get work started on Korra's park here first thing tomorrow morning. Beyond that, I'll see you both at the premiere tonight. You two have fun, now.” Ravi said, flashing Korra a knowing smile as he walked away, giving the two of them his signature limp wave goodbye once he'd already walked a good 10 or 15 feet away. You know, Korra kind of liked that guy, he had a pretty interesting personality. He seemed reserved like Tenzin, but also like he knew how to have a good time, like Bumi. She had a feeling they were going to get along just fine.

With Ravi gone, Asami returned her focus entirely to Korra, curious as to what she was doing here. Wasn't she supposed to be chasing down that Chi Eater thing? Even the news was starting to talk about it now. They hadn't mentioned as much as Korra had told her last night, so the press apparently didn't have _all_ the information yet, but word was getting around and people were starting to grow a little uneasy over the idea of a potentially homicidal spirit prowling the streets, and admittedly so was Asami. “Korra, what are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be helping out Lin and Mako?” Korra's eyes widened. Crap, she'd almost forgotten about that!

“Oh, right! I still am, actually, we're just following a new lead now.” She began, her expression sinking somewhat as her eyes darted down and to her left. Asami came in a little closer, tilting her head in concern. “Things are worse than we thought, though. A lot worse. Turns out this thing has been killing for over a millennium and has been actively trying to avoid my past lives. So far as we know, I'm the first Avatar to ever catch onto it and start actively pursuing it. Given the fact that no other Avatar but Aang was reported to have ever even come into contact with this thing's aftermath before and how strange it's acting, I thought maybe it wasn't a spirit, but... a story I got from a, urgh, a _witness_ earlier, confirmed it.” She wasn't sure which was worse, the Chi Eater or that “Gonzo” guy. She was currently leaning toward the latter. 

Placing a hand on Korra's shoulder, Asami pulled the girl in and gave her a hug. Sounded like her day wasn't going too well so far. She almost felt guilty – _her_ day had been pretty fantastic up until this point. She hated knowing that Korra was still stressed out, though. The Avatar really didn't get any time to rest, did they? It was not a position that Asami envied at all, sometimes she wondered how Korra did it. As Korra hugged her girlfriend back, she sighed, her face returning to a sincere smile. Bad as all that sounded, today was still more hopeful than last night was, and now she was actually able to do something. As the two pulled away and Asami saw the look on Korra's face, she smiled back, relieved. At least she seemed to be taking it all in stride.

“It's not all bad, though. We've confirmed that the Arena is clear, and Mako, Bolin and the Chief are setting up security right now. That premiere is going to be the single safest event in the city when all is said and done. I've also got a new lead to follow. Since we think this thing is a spirit and spirits seem to be running away from it, we think they might know something that we don't, so I'm heading toward the Portal to see if I can't find anything out now. I should probably get going, now that I think about it.” She mentioned, rubbing the back of her neck. She hated to cut and run, but... Avatar stuff. Asami knew how it was, giving the blue-eyed girl a nod, motioning for her to get going.

“Be careful out there. I'll see you at the premiere tonight!” She called as Korra began running off in the direction of the Portal again, the Avatar half-turning around and waving goodbye as she did.

“I will, don't worry! See you later!” She called back, disappearing back into the Wilds around the damaged park. Next stop: The Republic City Spirit Portal.

***** *** *** *** *** *** *****

Korra was surprised. She thought she'd end up encountering more and more spirits the closer she drew to the new Spirit Portal, but as she cautiously traversed the Wilds that dominated most of Republic City's old Downtown peninsula, she couldn't seem to find _any_. She could definitely feel an intense spiritual presence coming from the all the surrounding Spirit Vines and the nearby Portal, but when it came to individual spirits, it almost seemed as though were as scarce here as they were in Dragon Flats last night, a fact which had her more than a little alarmed. Was the Chi Eater so powerful as to have scared the spirits off the peninsula completely? Was that the kind of enemy she was dealing with?

While they were dirty, damaged and overrun with vines and swiftly growing trees, the old city streets were still a lot cleaner than she'd anticipated, likely having been cleared away by the Air Nation at the behest of city officials in order to make way for tour groups. But, as with the spirits, she curiously hadn't encountered any of those yet, either. In fact, this entire ruined district seemed to be completely devoid of any life outside of the myriad of plants thriving off of the recent influx of spiritual energy. Korra was beginning to grow anxious. Could the Chi Eater be here right now, hiding somewhere just out of sight? Had its buried presence scared everything else away?

Suddenly, Korra could sense a tremendous spiritual presence, one she hadn't noticed only a few steps earlier, sickening in both its size and its nature. She immediately raised her arms into a defensive position, ready to strike at a moment's notice, and jumped, turning around. Nothing. Cautiously, she continued to scan the area around her, turning slowly and keeping up her arms, but still, she couldn't see anything. The feeling persisted. Was she being hunted? She could feel her breath begin to grow shallower and beads of sweat form on her forehead as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She was on edge now more than ever, her eyes darting around the ruined city streets, looking for a sign of something, _anything_ that could be responsible for whatever it was she was feeling, but if there was anything there, her eyes couldn't see it. 

A solitary bead of sweat dripped down the side of her face as an eerie silence overtook her senses, her heart feeling like it was about to beat right out of her chest and her stomach in knots. Something was coming, and with a presence like this, it couldn't be...

...A rustle from a nearby tangle of vines broke the uneasy silence and Korra almost reflexively Firebent in its direction, stopping herself at the last possible moment and just barely managing to hold herself back, remembering back to her first time in the Spirit World and the dragon bird spirit she'd harmed. There was always the possibility it was somebody she knew, or perhaps even a friendly or otherwise docile spirit, she couldn't let her fear get the best of her. Taking a deep breath, Korra calmed herself down and remained on guard, her eyes narrowing and body tensing as she waited for whatever was beyond the vines to show itself.

After a few seconds more of rustling, she saw the source of her anxiety, a disheveled and familiar form peeling out from the vines and walking leisurely into the middle of the street. It was a person, and one she knew, at that – Ryu. Korra breathed an audible sigh of relief, lowering her guard and almost looking as though she was about to double over, laughing to herself slightly. She was letting herself get too worked up over this Chi Eater thing. Almost as soon as she'd laughed, the spiritual presence she'd been feeling disappeared. Whatever it was, it was gone now, just like everything else in this area – everything except for Ryu, that was. What was he doing out here alone, anyway? Weren't these his usual work hours? Where was his tour group?

“Ryu? What are you doing out here alone? Shouldn't you be on a tour by now?” Korra asked, Ryu lazily turning his head in the Avatar's direction, his expression largely blank as he greeted her with an equally lazy wave.

“Oh, hey Korra. Turns out nobody really wants to take a tour through the Spirit Wilds while there's a killer spirit on the loose in Republic City, go figure.” Oh. So news broke on that, huh? Why was she surprised? With as many new recruits as the department had and as busy as they've all been working on this case the past couple of days, it was only a matter of time before somebody started letting some details slip. She was hoping she would be able to _avoid_ a public panic, but... 

“I see... people are that worried, huh?” Why wouldn't they be? Even she was worried. She just hoped that worry wouldn't carry over to the mover premiere, too – it'd be a real shame if nobody ended up showing up out of fear. But then, that's why President Raiko had asked her to attend, wasn't it? He was probably out there right now, publicizing that, trying to ensure everything went off without a hitch. She could only hope. She really tonight to be something special, Chi Eater permitting.

“I told everyone you're back in town and working on it, but whatever, nobody really cares, so I figured I'd just guide myself and look for some new places to hang out.” Ryu shrugged. For him, “hanging out” was just finding a good place to sulk and shirk his responsibilities where nobody else could find him. The mall usually had it covered, but he could never have enough “hang out” spots.

“What about the spirits? I thought this place would be crawling with them, but I've been looking all over and I can't find any. I thought I sensed one before you showed up, but then it disappeared.” At least, she hoped that was just a spirit. She'd never felt anything that... _intense_ before, just the thought of how it felt made her sick. She imagined the Chi Eater would leave her with a similar feeling. Could it have been out here, after all? If it was, then why would it run when there were two potential meals right here in front of it? Could it be because it was still the middle of the day? After all, all of the other attacks happened after sundown – could it be a nocturnal hunter? But then why would it be out in the daylight at all? Ugh, she was thinking too hard about this – she had to keep her mind focused on the situation at hand, Ryu was about to answer a pretty important question.

“Oh, them. Yeah, they left too. I tried to convince a few of them to stay since they're pretty cool and all, but they said if they're going to die, they'd rather die in their world than ours. Something about not wanting to get eaten? I don't know. It really sucks though, a few of us were going to head down and see that mover at the Arena tonight, but I guess they were too spooked to bother. It's whatever, I'll just go alone.” There were a lot of questions raised by that explanation, but two of the biggest had to be the insinuations that Ryu A.) Actually had friends and thought they were cool and B.) Enjoyed something. The third question, of course, was in regards to the spirits' fear, and what Korra took it upon herself to actually ask.

“...Eaten? You mean this thing can eat spirits, too? Not just people's chi?” Ryu shrugged.

“How am I supposed to know? I'm not a spirit.” Korra sighed. Well, it made sense. Spirits were primarily made up of chi and spiritual energy, so if this thing was using Energybending to suck out people's chi and eat it, then it stood the reason it could also use Energybending to eat (other?) spirits. The only question just became _why_? Why attack people and suck out their chi? Why eat (other) spirits? Does it even actually eat anything, or just absorb it into itself? What happens to the spirits it eats? Do they die, or do they just become a part of it? 

There were still a lot of questions and not a lot of answers to go with them. Hell, every answer she got just seemed to lead to more questions with this thing. But at least now she knew why all the spirits were running away from the crime scenes: this thing could eat them, too. For once, they were in just as much danger as any human was. “Did they tell you where it was hiding, or anywhere you should stay away from for some reason, or anything like that?” Korra asked. If the spirits cared enough to talk to Ryu – and, really, they talked to Ryu? Of all people? – then maybe they'd care enough to warn him where it was. That was her hope, anyway.

“I dunno, didn't ask.” Of course he didn't. “They just told me to stay away from the mover tonight, said the crowd would attract it, but like, I genuinely _like_ movers. And this one's _free_. I don't care if it's dangerous, I'm not going to miss this.” Ryu explained.

“Wait, you _like_ movers?” Korra asked, no longer able to hide her confusion over this entire series of events. Seriously, _Ryu_? The disheveled young man looked offended.

“Well, yeah? What kind of joyless bastard doesn't like movers? I mean _come on_.” Well, Korra could think of one particularly joyless Firebending detective that came to mind...

“Well, whatever, I'm surprised they even told you that much. Spirits don't usually care about humans. If something's coming or they feel threatened somehow they'll usually just get up and go and leave us to fend for ourselves. I guess they've gotten used to you after all the tours you've given through their home, huh?” Korra asked.

“Eh, we hang out sometimes, I guess. Apparently I'm one of the only humans they can stand. I don't really care, but neither do they, so that makes them pretty cool in my book. No expectations.” Ryu shrugged. Korra was kind of surprised, but at the same time, not really? Like she'd said, spirits didn't really care about humans, but then neither did Ryu, so maybe they had a lot to talk about. Or not talk about? Did they just sit around not caring about things, or something? ...Whatever, she was getting sidetracked here. The most important thing was that the spirits were gone and they were thinking the same thing as Korra, Raiko and the others about the premiere grabbing the Chi Eater's attention. She could always head into the Spirit World and see if she couldn't start interrogating a few of them there, but somehow she got the feeling they wouldn't be feeling terribly cooperative no matter _where_ she talked to them at the moment. She would be better off focusing on the mover right now and making sure the Arena really was as safe as it could be.

Korra let loose an annoyed sigh. She was strongly considering suggesting Asami just stay home at this point. But then, if she went alone and nothing happened, she'd have wasted a great opportunity to spend some time with her new fiancee, and after the recent revelation of their betrothal, people would probably start getting suspicious and asking questions if she showed up alone. But was it fair to rope Asami into such a potentially dangerous situation? Benders were one thing, she could take care of herself against them, but even the Avatar was going to have trouble if it came down to an all-out brawl with a rogue spirit. Knowing Asami, she'd probably stubbornly refuse to stay behind and tag along anyway, no matter what Korra said. It was not a conversation she was looking forward to.

Tonight was quickly shaping up to be less of a relaxing addendum to their vacation and more of a stressful dose of Avatar duty. Great, exactly what she was hoping for. “Do yourself a favor – never become the Avatar.” Korra joked, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Right, like Ryu would ever want that much responsibility. “If the spirits are leaving the city, this thing could be even worse than we thought. I should fill in the Chief about the spirits' warning and then head back and see if I can't find Asami again. If I'm lucky then maybe she'll still be somewhere nearby. After that, I guess I'll go get ready for tonight's premiere... hopefully it won't be an utter disaster and I can actually enjoy myself.” She complained aloud, not really expecting Ryu to reply. He did anyway, of course, if only to state how much he didn't care. Thanks for the input, Ryu. Truly, you were a fountain of sagely wisdom, it wasn't any wonder that the spirits loved you.

Well, no use hanging around here anymore. She had stops to make, warnings to deliver, a dress and/or suit to acquire, and a mover to attend. Reaching for the walkie talkie clipped to her left hip, as she ran back in the direction of the old city park, she relayed what she'd learned from Ryu to Lin. One way or another, this was going to be one hell of a night. 

***** *** *** *** *** *** *****

“Are you absolutely sure about this, Asami?” Korra asked for the umpteenth time, an uneasy look on her face. The more she thought about it, the more she was beginning to worry. Was this really a good idea? She'd been back and forth on this all day, but she had to admit, it did seem more practical. But was practicality really what was important, here? What would the press say? What would _everybody else_ say? Would they even say anything? Why was she getting so worked up over this?

“How many times do I have to say 'yes' before you stop asking me?” The green-eyed girl replied, annoyed. By her count, this was the 5th confirmation in the last 10 minutes alone. Since when did Korra become so vain? “You look great in a suit. I don't know why _I_ never thought of it before.” She remarked. Styled after traditional Southern Water Tribe colors and design sensibilities, it naturally accented Korra's dark hair and cerulean eyes and at least _looked_ right at home on her, though judging by the look on the girl's face, she didn't exactly _feel_ right at home wearing it. She was beginning to regret this decision a little more with every passing moment, though her fiancee's compliment reluctantly drew a blush from her cheeks. The premiere was less than 30 minutes away. Their ride would be here any minute. There was no time to change her mind now. 

Making one more minor adjustment to her fiancee's tie, she pulled it to a comfortable tightness, took a step back and flashed her a confident smile. Perfect. “There. All done.” Asami announced as Korra stopped from moving her right arm, trying to get used to the feeling of actually having sleeves again. She didn't usually wear sleeves and her personal coat was much less stiff than this thing was. Letting loose an anxious sigh, Korra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Time to turn around and see how she actually looked in the mirror, something Asami had prevented her from doing until she was finished, not wanting Korra to get cold feet half-way through without even seeing what she'd look like all dressed up and good-to-go. Facing the wide mirror mounted to the wall above their dresser, Korra opened her eyes, getting her first full look at herself in a Water Tribe suit.

To be perfectly honest, she... actually kind of liked it. A lot. Huh. She didn't look anywhere near as bad as she was afraid she might. Stepping a little closer to the mirror, Korra moved around a bit, trying to examine herself from a few different angles and get used to this new look of hers while her body adjusted to the feel of it, a smile starting to creep its way across her face. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all. But who was she kidding, it was originally her idea in the first place, of course it wasn't a bad idea! “This... doesn't look as bad as I thought. Wow. I _do_ look good in a suit.” She smirked, flexing slightly. She still wasn't entirely adjusted to the feel of the thing, but you know what, she was kind of starting to enjoy it.

“I told you so. You worry too much.” Asami stated in a very matter-of-factly manner, checking over her own appearance in the mirror one more time while Korra flexed to herself, her smile becoming less arrogant and more warm when her gaze fell back onto the betrothal necklace clasped around her neck. She'd built her entire outfit around that necklace, an outfit she'd changed into far quicker than Korra this time around, the blue-eyed girl from the Southern Water Tribe having spent almost 30 minutes debating whether or not she should go with the suit or her usual dress for events like these, and then another 15 complaining about how stupid she was going to look once all was said and done. She seemed to be singing a completely different tune now, though, judging by her continued flexing in their mirror. 

Her face resting into a comfortable smile, Korra nodded to herself. Yeah. This would work. Looking over at her fiancee, there was just one more thing she had to confirm now and she'd be good to go. “Are you sure there's nothing I can do to change your mind? If something ends up happening tonight... ...I don't know if the Chi Eater is actually a spirit or not, but it sounds like one. It's going to be extremely dangerous if it attacks. I really don't want you to get caught up in that.” The Avatar bemoaned, the young CEO to her right shaking her head. She'd been over _this_ more times than she'd have liked, too. Her decision was final.

“Korra, enough. I've been through spirit attacks before during Harmonic Convergence, remember? I know what we could be up against. Or, we could not be up against anything and tonight could be perfectly fine. Either way, I'm willing to take that chance. Be it to stand beside you and help you out however I can, or just spend time with you and finally get you into the mover scene. It's a win-win for me, really. I get to have some fun no matter what happens.” She smiled. Korra shook her head, giving Asami a crooked smile of her own in return. She'd already lost this argument and she knew it.

“Well, I tried. At least you'll be next to me the whole time. If something does go down, I'll be able to react immediately.” Korra replied. In fact, their entire balcony was going to be packed with some pretty powerful benders from what she understood, so Asami should be more than safe, as too should Zhu Li, Varrick, Raiko and his wife, Buttercup. She just couldn't help but worry a little bit, you know? Asami wasn't just a friend anymore. She was more than that. If something happened to her... ...Korra couldn't afford to not be strong enough to protect her now. She just couldn't. As Asami placed her hands on Korra's shoulders, the look in her eyes sealed the deal. She knew what she was doing. Korra would just have to leave her to it.

The two of them were expecting a knock on the bedroom door and one of Asami's servants to alert them to the arrival of Varrick's limousine any minute now. He was apparently going to be picking up everybody except for Lin, Mako, Su, Ravi and a “surprise guest” who would all be meeting them at the theater. Of course, they were no longer a surprise to Korra and Bolin, the two of them having accidentally bumped into him at the Arena earlier in the day, so she was already aware they'd be sharing the balcony with the mover's star, Ryuuki. But Asami didn't know yet, and she was more into movers than Korra was. Unlike Korra, she might actually have some idea of who he was and love to meet him. As of right now though, it didn't really mean too much to the young Avatar. To her, he was just another guy, albeit “another guy” who was donating over 2 million yuans to the reconstruction efforts in the city's hardest hit neighborhoods. Now that, at least, she could respect.

As if on cue, right as the two of them were finally good to go, the knock they had been waiting for resounded off of the mahogany doors, grabbing their attention. Asami immediately reached over for the purse she'd placed on her dresser and swung it over her shoulder, making sure her old Equalist glove was still inside of it along with a few other practical items and accessories. It probably wouldn't be of too much use if they were under attack from a rogue spirit, but hey, you never know, right? Maybe the Triads would try something, or maybe this could-be spirit was especially susceptible to electricity. It never hurt to come prepared. 

Walking with her fiancee down the halls of the house and out the front door, they found their ride already waiting for them, Varrick's driver holding one of the limousine's many doors open so that the two of them could hop right inside. Thankfully, there would be no descending or ascending of stairs tonight, just a nice leisurely ride to and from the city sitting in the lap of luxury. Now this, Korra could get used to. 

Deciding that she would be the one to enter first, as Korra took her first few steps into the car, she was almost immediately greeted by a sea of familiar faces, a large smile almost immediately leaping onto her face as she saw Bolin and Opal, Tenzin, Pema, the kids and Kai, Varrick and Zhu Li and even President Raiko and his wife, Buttercup, in that order. She had to admit, it was a lot more spacious and comfortable in here than she'd have assumed from the outside. She was shocked so many people were able to fit in here like this without it actually seeming all that crowded. It almost seemed as though it was _bigger_ on the inside.

“Wow, your suit is even nicer than Mako's – and he got his from the former crown prince! Go Korra!” Bolin remarked almost immediately, the poor girl just barely having become comfortable wearing the thing before everybody's attention was immediately drawn right to it. 10 seconds in and she already felt like her face was turning as red as the lush interior of the car, she hadn't even completely sat down yet. Asami laughed at her fiancee's reaction, taking a seat right next to her as she now struggled to get comfortable, giving everybody a warm hello. It'd been a while since she'd seen a few of them. 

“Bolin, stop it, you're making her uncomfortable.” Opal spoke up, scolding her boyfriend. He may have been pretty observant some of the time, but he was cognizant of people's emotions almost none of the time – he was notoriously bad at reading social cues. Almost as bad as Varrick, in fact. The two of them seemed to bumble into advantageous situations almost as often, too. It was actually kind of scary how alike they were starting to become. “It's nice to see you again, Korra. I haven't really had the chance to welcome you back until now, the Air Nation's been keeping pretty busy since Kuvira's attack. I've kind of been leading the charge on the West side for a while now.” She explained. 

The young Beifong appeared to be dressed about as elegantly as Asami was, having changed into her finest dress, the pinnacle of Zaofu fashion. She normally opted to wear traditional Air Nomad clothing, or the new glider suits Asami had designed for everyone those three years Korra was gone, so it could be easy to forget sometimes that she was, in fact, a member of the Beifong family, and thus quite rich. Or at least, her mother was. Asami wasn't the only one who'd grown up in the lap of luxury. She'd also managed to snag a nice suit from her old home city for Bolin, as well, the two of them complimenting each other quite nicely. 2 months gone, and Bolin was running around with the police and dressing like a Beifong – things really _had_ changed, hadn't they?

“It's nice to see you again too, Opal. I'm sorry I haven't been around to help out since Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding... I just really needed a break, you know?” Korra explained, still feeling as though she had to apologize for her absence given how much the city had ultimately degraded since she'd left. From the Triads to the Chi Eater... would things have turned out any differently if she'd stayed?

“Don't worry about it, everybody knows why you and Asami left. At least, _now_.” The young Beifong replied with a smirk, referring of course to Korra and Asami, the two lovebirds sharing a brief blush over the matter. Right. Common knowledge now. The teasing phase had officially commenced. This was going to be a little awkward for a while.

“I always had a feeling there was something going on between you two! Zhu Li knows, I told her all about it months ago. I said, “Zhu Li, you know, I have a feeling there's something going on between those two”, and as anyone can tell you, my feelings are almost never wrong. Congratulations on the betrothal! The married life is pretty sweet, all things considered. And Kiyoshi Island? GREAT place to honeymoon. Those elephant koi? _Really_ fun to surf on, especially that big, black, snake-like one.” Varrick exclaimed, inserting himself into the conversation. It'd been a while since Korra had seen him, too, she almost forgot how loud he was. Well, at least he was on the other end of the car.

“Um, I don't think that one was an elephant koi, honey... I think that one was the Unagi. You know, the sea monster?” Zhu Li corrected, Varrick raising an eyebrow, thinking back for a minute.

“Sea monster? Really? Why didn't anyone tell me? Eh, whatever, it was fun anyway!” He proclaimed, his wife shaking her head. It was a miracle the two of them didn't end up dead. Everybody just laughed, Korra having forgotten how entertaining he could be when he wasn't getting her friends thrown in jail. To be perfectly honest, she never really had as much of a problem with him as Mako or Asami, he'd actually helped out a lot during the civil war between the Water Tribes, or at least he tried to. In his own way. She guessed. But still, it was nice to see him on the right side of things, and Zhu Li as well. After all, this night wouldn't have been possible without him.

“It's nice to see you again, too, Varrick. Thank you.” Korra replied once her laughter had subsided. “I don't think we're actually going to be tying the knot anytime too soon, but it'll happen. But tonight isn't really about us, it's about the mover. I've never actually seen one before, so I'm pretty excited.” She smiled, the limousine having now begun the 20 minute drive into the city.

“Boy oh boy are _you_ in for a treat! I'm telling you – movers? Easily one of the best things I've ever invented. Top 10 at least!” Varrick stated with confidence, Bolin nodding along in agreement along with the Airbender Kids, all of whom were relishing the thought of finally getting to go to a big premiere. Even despite their father's status as the de facto head of the Air Nation, he always seemed too busy, tired, uninterested or some mix of the three to set aside the time to take them to see one, much to their chagrin. For them, tonight had been a long time coming.

“Well I, for one, can't wait. I've always loved a good book more than anything, but I've also always had a soft spot for the theater. I've been curious to see how movers differ from typical stage productions.” Jinora announced, being the most emotionally contained of the kids as per usual. “Did you know that tonight's mover was actually based off of a book? I never got to read it, but I know Opal did, she says it was really good.” The Beifong in question nodded in confirmation.

“Yeah, I'm excited to see how it compares, honestly. I heard they got the best actors in the business to play the lead roles. Not just Ryuuki, but all of them. I hope they can pull it off. Especially that chase scene...” Opal stopped herself there, not wanting to spoil it, much to Jinora's disappointment. She'd been pressing the older girl for details ever since she first saw her reading the book, but all she'd managed to get out of her was the basic premise. I mean sure, she was about to watch it unfold in front of her in less than an hour, but still, she wanted to know _now_.

“Oh, don't you worry about that, I know they can!” Varrick responded. “Heck, I discovered some of them myself, from the days of Nuktuk! Ginger, for example. I'm glad to see she's really started making a name for herself, that girl always had something special. Guess it just took a little while for everybody else to finally start seeing it!” Varrick replied, assuring the Airbender of the mover's quality. If nothing else, the crew was solid, so hey, how bad could it be?

“Yes, well, I'm just glad the mover's even happening at all. After news of that “Chi Eater” thing leaked, my office was bombarded with phone calls asking me about it. I was a little worried that people would refuse to show up and the organizers would have to cancel the event. Thankfully, they stuck it out, and when I announced that Avatar Korra would be attending as well, people seemed to be a bit more receptive to the idea. You built up a lot of good will after taking down Kuvira, Korra. The people believe in you now more than ever. You make them feel safe.” Raiko explained, Korra smiling at the thought. Finally. Do you know how long she's been trying to get people on her side? After the Red Lotus incident people finally seemed to start coming around, but it wasn't until now that the positive sentiments became almost unanimous. It felt... good. She felt like she was finally living up to her role as the Avatar. It'd been a long, winding path to get here, but... she'd finally arrived.

“I'm glad. I won't let them down.” She stated with confidence. “About Kuvira, though... I've been kind of sidetracked by the Chi Eater since I came back, but I've been meaning to ask if I couldn't take part in her trial, maybe testify before you guys get to sentencing. I know it's a little late in the game, but to be honest, there are some things I feel like I really need to say before it's too late.” Raiko nodded, understanding where she was coming from. To be perfectly honest, he'd intentionally been dragging things out, just a little bit, as to give Korra a chance to weigh in before anything was finalized. Everybody was calling for Kuvira's execution at this point and the press was treating it as a foregone conclusion, but he assumed Korra would be standing opposed to that. That probably wouldn't go over well for her, but... she had the right to state her opinion and give her side of the story. After all, she was the one who went head-to-head with the woman and took her down before she leveled _all_ of Republic City.

“Of course. I can get them to hold off a few more days if need be so that you can get this Chi Eater matter settled first and foremost.” Raiko replied. “I'm sure your opinion will be taken into consideration. You are the Avatar, after all. Outside of Su and the rest of the Beifong family, you were probably the closest of everyone to the whole event.” Korra felt as though a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders hearing that. She was happy to have that squared away and her part in the trial secured before it was too late. This whole Chi Eater thing had really ruined her original plans. 

Bolin and Opal simply shared a look with one another, having already testified themselves a month or so back along with Varrick and Zhu Li. It was something they were glad to be done with, but at least Opal was a little concerned as to what Korra might say. After everything she did, Opal would be lying if she said she wasn't also calling out for that woman's head. She'd lost a brother because of Kuvira, and almost lost the rest of her family, too. They'd never be the same again. There was no room for forgiveness, not here. Not now. It was something Tenzin was well aware of and had attempted to talk to her about, but if there was one thing Beifongs had in abundance, it was a stubborn refusal to bend to others' wills or let others in, and Opal was no exception. 

Out of everyone there, perhaps only Bolin understood what it was she was going through, being the only one she'd ever opted to confide in, but even he knew that he couldn't ever _really_ understand, not completely, and he wasn't about to go spilling his girlfriend's guts or defending her position in regards to Kuvira on her behalf. He knew that wasn't his place. He knew what Korra was probably going to say, and he knew Opal probably did as well, and he hated the thought of the two of them butting heads over it, but... it wasn't his fight. He remained as silent as Opal, neither of them wanting to bring anything up and get into an argument about it tonight. Tonight was a night of fun, not conflict.

With that little matter settled, the remainder of the ride was mostly just catching up with old friends and enjoying each other's company before the mover, Varrick and Zhu Li sharing another couple stories from their month long honeymoon spent traveling the Earth Territories while Korra was pressed by Bolin, Opal and the kids (sans Meelo) about the Spirit World – and more importantly, what she and Asami did there. Which, of course, neither of them were particularly keen on getting too deeply into for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being the especially personal nature of that line of questioning. And not just in _that_ way, either. 

The Spirit World was a strange place, shaped as much by its nature as it was the emotions of those within it – Foggy Swamp-level experiences were not unheard of, especially not on _their_ little vacation. To be honest, there were just some things they were fine with keeping to themselves; situations, hallucinations and discoveries they'd shared in that were too personal to share with anybody else, at least for now. In between all of the fun and exploring and new friends they'd made with some of the spirits there, Korra and Asami probably got to know each other – and themselves – better in the Spirit World than anywhere else. All-in-all, it was one hell of a vacation.

Decrying the betrothed couple's obstinacy as boring, the kids quickly forgot all about it as the two of them _did_ elect to share a general rundown of what else they did over their little vacation, though it was unfortunately cut short as their limousine ride into the city came to an end, the elongated vehicle pulling up to the Pro Bending Arena right on schedule. Seemed they'd have to get into that a bit more in depth later on – the premiere was finally upon them.

“Right – we're finally here! Mr. President, if you will...” Varrick suggested, motioning for Raiko and Buttercup to exit the car first as the billionaire's driver opened up their door, the two's arrival instigating a flurry of flashes from the cameras of the press lined up outside the Arena along with the remainder of the crowd yet to enter and be seated. The two of them smiled and waved as they exited the vehicle and began the walk down the long, red carpet that led to the brightly glowing golden building, very much used to the song and dance of public events like these by this point in the middle-aged man's presidency.

Among the commentators representing a number of different news outlets and associated radio stations from in and around the city, assembled toward the front of the crowd, the Arena's own Shiro Shinobi stood reporting on behalf of those already seated inside of the makeshift mover theater, his distinctive voice carried over loudspeakers both within and without the building as he announced the arrival of each city celebrity that stepped out of the long, white VGI (Varrick Global Industries) Limousine. “Ah, and it looks like Sir Varrick and his entourage have finally arrived, rounding out the night's special guests!” He began. 

“First to appear are President Raiko and his lovely wife Buttercup, the two of them looking as comfortable as ever in the public eye. These two are practically paparazzi pros by this point, people, and appear to be completely undeterred by recent events, ready and eager to take on the night!” Raiko resisted the urge to shake his head at the mention of “recent events”, which he hadn't been entirely honest with Korra and the others about. While he _had_ managed to sway public opinion back in favor of the premiere – obviously, given the size of the crowd – that didn't mean he'd managed to sway public opinion back in favor of himself. People were scared and looking for somebody to blame, and like he'd told Korra, the Avatar had accrued quite a bit of good will from the people for her efforts during Kuvira's attack. So, naturally, the press blamed the recent string of Chi Eater murders on Raiko's administration and Beifong's police department, instead. Well, the press would be the press.

“Next up is the inventor of the mover, the now infamous business tycoon, Sir Varrick of the Southern Water Tribe, along with his new wife, Zhu Li, making their first public appearance since their wedding 2 months ago and first _major_ appearance since the billionaire's arrest during the premiere of his last mover, the exciting finale to Nuktuk: Hero of the South! You'd never tell from his demeanor that he was ever anything but a media darling, but it wasn't too long ago that this eccentric power couple were considered Republic City public enemies No. 1! It's amazing how much can change in just a few short years, folks.” Shiro described as Varrick and Zhu Li smiled and waved to the gathered crowd, Zhu Li looking a little annoyed by Shinobi's commentary while Varrick seemed as energetic and unfazed as ever, just happy to be back on good terms with the press. Well, mostly good terms. Helping take down a psychotic dictator and her giant robot will do that for you.

“Next we have the current leader of the Air Nation, former city council member and son of Avatar Aang, Tenzin, along with his wife Pema, and his four children Rohan, Meelo, Ikki, and Jinora – who appears to have brought herself a date!” The Pro Bending announcer exclaimed, Tenzin mumbling something beneath his breath as his eye twitched at the mention of Kai as Jinora's “date”. There would be no “dating” in his presence, not if he had anything to say about it. Of course, Pema was already giving her husband the evil eye, keeping him at bay for the time being as their eldest daughter walked arm-in-arm with the dark-skinned boy, blissfully unaware to the silent war being waged between her parents' eyes.

“After them we have former mover _and_ Pro Bending star, Bolin, previously a member – and then briefly, captain – of the phenomenal Fire Ferrets, walking arm-in-arm with the last member of the prestigious Beifong family, Opal – and he appears to have brought his pet fire ferret and former team mascot, Pabu, with him! That cute little fellow is also a former mover star, folks, having played the role of Juji in the world-famous Nuktuk serials.” As Bolin smiled and waved to the crowd of fans, the fire ferret in question crawled out from his jacket and sat on his shoulder as if to soak up some attention of its own and greet the crowd along with his master. Bolin may not have been able to bring Pabu to the precinct with him, but that didn't mean he couldn't still take him out to public events! Unfortunately for Bolin and Pabu, however, their leisurely stroll down the red carpet was about to become a lot bumpier as Opal caught sight of a familiar crowd of faces, her own face immediately springing to life with excitement.

“...Oh? What's this? Opal appears to have noticed her family gathered near the entrance of the Arena, she's now running full-speed ahead down the walkway with Bolin in tow! The poor boy doesn't seem to know what hit him! Wow, they are _really_ booking it! That's the speed of an Airbender for you, folks – they've already overtaken everybody else and made it to the front of the Arena!” Shiro described, the crowd laughing at Bolin's confused and somewhat terrified expression as he was literally tugged along down the walkway as Opal broke off into an Airbending assisted sprint, excited to see her family for the first time since the wedding. As the two of them finally reached the Arena entrance, Bolin caught his breath and readjusted his suit, Pabu still holding onto his shoulder for dear life, while Opal finally released her grip on her boyfriend's arm, pulling her mother and father into a tight hug, interrupting their discussion with Future Industries' second-in-command, Ravi.

And then _they_ stepped out, the crowd growing almost three times as loud as it was before as Korra and Asami made their way onto the red carpet last, the citizens of Republic City obviously quite excited to see their Avatar in person again, especially after the recent announcement of her engagement! “There's no doubting a reaction like that, folks – our final guests have arrived! Avatar Korra – also previously a member of the Fire Ferrets, albeit briefly – has now stepped out of the car hand-in-hand with her new fiancee, the CEO of Future Industries, Ms. Asami Sato! Republic City's favorite new couple seem to be readjusting well to a life in the spotlight and haven't missed a beat – they're handling this crowd like pros! Ms. Sato is dressed as elegantly as ever in one of her famous crimson dresses, but Avatar Korra appears to have decided to mix things up tonight, showing up in what appears to be a Southern Water Tribe suit! Only the Avatar could pull off a suit _and_ a dress this well, folks.” Well, so much for nobody really noticing the suit. Oh well, at least her new look was being received rather positively. Korra couldn't help but smile.

As the remainder of the group finally caught back up with Bolin and Opal at the front of the Arena, they all exchanged hellos with the entirety of the Beifong family – Lin and Mako having stepped outside earlier in the evening in order to wait for Su, Varrick and the others to arrive as well as personally keep an eye on the crowd – while Asami formally introduced everybody to Ravi, the large group of friends and family quickly settling back into old routines as their own conversations began drowning out those of the gathered crowd and the continued reporting of Shiro Shinobi and Republic City's press. They still had a good 10 minutes before they had to step inside for Ryuuki's donation to the city and the start of the mover, and they weren't about to waste it. This was the first real breather any of them had had in months, Korra and Asami notwithstanding – even Lin seemed to be enjoying herself, at least for now, laughing along with her sister at a joke Zhu Li had shared.

Meanwhile, Korra, Asami, Mako and Bolin shared a brief group hug, relishing the chance to finally spend some time together again that didn't immediately involve fighting some crazy bender or chasing down criminals and rogue spirits, the brothers once again congratulating the two women on their relationship while Mako complimented the Avatar's suit, the Water Tribe girl once again blushing in response. Everybody's comments on that was starting to get a little embarrassing. Mako appeared to be similarly dressed up, however, wearing the same suit he'd worn to Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding (albeit with gloves) as gifted to him by former prince Wu, just as Bolin had described, which Korra complimented the Firebending detective on in response. 

Ravi and Tenzin, meanwhile, appeared to be discussing what both of them seemed to enjoy most, their work, the newly trained Metalbender taking the chance to personally thank the head of the Air Nation for his help in rebuilding the city, mentioning how the new Future Industries Tower never would've been possible without his Airbenders' and Zaofu's Metalbenders' help – something which he was also sure to thank the de facto matriarch of the Beifong family, Suyin, for. As Ravi began discussing Future Industries' plans to open up 4 new parks in Republic City along with the restoration of Avatar Korra park in the old Downtown District, Raiko also involved himself in the conversation, Buttercup and Pema listening in as the Airbender kids caught up with Opal and the rest of Su's kids. 

In fact, the only one who _didn't_ seem to be in any conversations right now was Varrick, surprisingly enough, who was standing off to the side mulling something over in an uncharacteristically silent manner, allowing the group to talk freely for a bit before finally deciding to interrupt. Now that he had them all here, there were a few things he wanted to say. Walking back up to the rest of them and grabbing everybody's attention, he pulled his new wife to his side and awkwardly addressed the small crowd of VIP invitees he'd assembled in front of him, almost looking as though he was nervous. “Hey, uh, guys, can I be real here for a second?” Varrick asked, the look on his face immediately silencing the lot of them, Bolin raising an eyebrow while Zhu Li just smiled, leaning in a bit closer to her new husband, who was speaking more genuinely than any of them had heard in months.

“Look, I have to admit, I wasn't actually sure if I'd be able to get all of you guys to say yes and show up to this thing tonight. Heck, I expected most of you flat-out tell me no, and some of you almost did! But, one way or another, you all showed up anyway, and I just wanted to say... thank you. I know that you've all had a pretty shaky past with me at one point or another and in the past, I've hurt pretty much every last one of you, but you stuck with me to the end and gave me a second a chance, anyway. Heck, you helped me become a better person, each and every one of you! If I'm being completely honest here, you're all probably the first real _friends_ I've ever had, and I probably wouldn't be the man I am today and with the woman that I am now if it wasn't for you guys. I know it's not really all that much, especially after all the crap I've put you guys through, but I really wanted to pull this night together as a show of gratitude for everything you've ever done for me, large and small. It's the least I can do. Thank you for everything, all of you.”

Nobody was really sure what to say to that, but at least Bolin was tearing up – just a little bit – while Su placed a hand on the industrialist's shoulder, smiling. She was the first person to give him a second chance after his escape from prison, a chance he almost threw away in leaving with Kuvira. But she gave him shelter and a chance to start over when no one else did, and as a result, her family had almost become like his family and Zaofu like a second home. Those days were some of the best and most inventive of his life. Everybody else, meanwhile, just smiled along with Su, happy to have been able to help and even happier to see him on the right path, rebuilding his company and his reputation – the right way, this time around.

“I have to admit, after everything you did, I found it pretty hard to forgive you. I didn't think you'd ever change. I didn't think you were capable. But you've really proven yourself, Varrick. Bolin's told me about how you and him escaped from Kuvira's army and got those other escapees somewhere safe, and everybody knows how you helped out when she attacked the city with that weapon of hers. Maybe I've been a little too harsh on you lately. When push came to shove, you did the right thing. We should be the ones thanking you.” Mako replied, shaking the man's hand and giving him a genuine smile for what had to be the first time. He didn't think he'd ever be willingly talking to this guy, but... here he was. Maybe Bolin was right. He _had_ changed. “Consider this a clean slate. Don't mess it up.” He warned.

“Agreed. I didn't think I'd ever be able to forgive you after what you did to my company, and if I'm being perfectly honest, I'm still a little wary of you, but after Kuvira... I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. Ravi's told me in brief how you've helped out around the city, too, especially in regards to Future Industries. Like Mako said, you've really proven yourself lately. It's good to have you on our side, and I actually kind of look forward to working with you in the future.” Asami smiled, Varrick sniffing once in response, almost feeling as though he was about to cry.

“Personally, I've always just seen you as a spineless weasel snake, but I've gotta admit, you've actually got guts. I'm really liking my new precinct, too. Maybe you're not as bad as I thought – I can see what my sister saw in you now.” Lin nodded, Su shaking her head. Varrick was ready for a clean slate years ago, and when he left with Kuvira, she knew that he only did it in order to try and help out with the rebuilding of the Earth Kingdom, like Bolin. Well, that and the technical challenges Kuvira consistently presented him with – he loved his puzzles and racking that brain of his. Ultimately though, it was a good thing he left. It was probably the last push he needed to finally grow a conscience and think more seriously about what he and his inventions were really capable of.

“Indeed. You've been a big help to Republic City since your return during the whole Kuvira fiasco, and I haven't regretted the decision to unfreeze your assets yet. I can't thank you enough for everything you've done so far, and I look forward to working alongside you and your company in rebuilding Republic City and helping it soar to new heights in the future – along with Ms. Sato and Future Industries, of course.” President Raiko explained, the last of the group to speak up in regards to the eccentric genius. Zhu Li instinctively handed her husband a tissue from her purse. He was about ready to bawl.

“You guys...” Varrick managed to get out before accepting his wife's tissue, blowing his nose and wiping the tears from his eyes with his sleeve. “I swear, I won't let you down – any of you. Now then, let's get inside and enjoy this mover!” He exclaimed, raising a finger to the sky before promptly turning around to point to the entrance, walking inside before the rest of the crowd around completely blocked it off in swarming it to get in. The rest of the group nodded in agreement, sticking close together as they walked inside and headed down the hall to the designated VIP balcony, Bolin visibly shaking with excitement. Opal raised an eyebrow. Was he really _this_ excited over a mover? Meanwhile, Tenzin was just hoping there'd be enough room for everybody – he knew at least one more person would be joining them and there were already practically two entire families here plus everybody else.

But, everything was already taken care of ahead of time. Once Varrick showed Ryuuki and the Arena's management his proposed list, he actually paid to have their largest balcony extended out even further as to accommodate everyone included in his “best case scenario” list, a relatively minor construction project that seemed kind of frivolous if you really thought about it, but also like a very “Varrick” thing to do. But hey, he wanted to get _everybody_ in here, he wasn't about to start breaking them up now! 

As the group rounded the corner into their recently expanded VIP balcony, they found a blue-eyed and blue-haired man dressed in an extravagant Fire Nation-inspired suit already standing there waiting for them, a man Opal recognized almost immediately from all of the promotional posters of the premiere that'd been set up all around town. Ryuuki Ayatsurishi, star of The Dancing Dragons and one of the greatest actors in the business, or so they said. So that's why Bolin was so excited, he must've found out they'd be sitting with the star. Bolin was the one to drag Opal with him this time as he to claim the seat closest to Ryuuki's before anybody sat down, a big smile stretched across his face. 

“MR. RYUUKI. HI. BOLIN AGAIN.” He introduced a bit louder than he probably thought he did. “This is my girlfriend, Opal, we're really excited to formally meet you.” The Earthbender introduced, shaking the laughing Firebender's hand.

“Yes, yes, it's nice to see you again, Bolin. And it's nice to meet you, as well, Opal. You're one of Suyin's kids, correct?” He asked with a smile, Opal nodding in response as Mako, Korra and Asami entered the room next, taking the seats next to Bolin and Opal's, the Firebending detective putting his hand to his head and shaking it in embarrassment for his little brother. Bolin _had_ to learn how to settle down around his heroes. Ravi, Varrick, Zhu Li, Raiko and Buttercup claimed their seats next, completing the front row, while Tenzin, Pema and the kids and Lin, Suyin and the rest of the Beifong family filled in the second row, bringing the grand total of VIP guests to 10 in the front and 12 in the back, leaving two extra seats surprisingly unoccupied. The bigger surprise to those gathered, however, was the revelation that they got to sit and enjoy the mover with its star, Ryuuki, Asami looking especially delighted by the revelation.

“Right! I told you guys about a “surprise guest” earlier, right? Surprise!!! I want you all to meet Ryuuki Ayatsurushi–” Varrick began, his wife cutting in for just a moment.

“Ayatsurishi.” She corrected.

“Right, that's what I said, Ayatsurishi.” Varrick amended, shrugging his shoulders. Fire Nation names, what could you do? They always gave him a little trouble. “Anyway, yeah, Ryuuki: the greatest actor movers have ever seen! He was the one who _really_ made tonight possible, I just helped fund this thing and put together the guest list!” The billionaire introduced, Ryuuki smiling, waving hello. Looking around however, Asami noticed almost immediately that Korra didn't seem to be as surprised by Varrick's announcement as everybody else was, much like Bolin before her. In fact, Bolin had spoken earlier as if they'd met before. She knew about this beforehand, didn't she?

“Did you know about this?” Asami asked, Korra nodding confidently in response. And she didn't tell her? How rude.

“Bolin and I bumped into him earlier today when we were helping set up security for tonight's event.” Korra explained. “He accidentally let it slip to us that we'd all be sharing a balcony together and asked me not to tell anyone since Varrick initially intended to surprise us.” She knew how much Asami liked spoilers, but hey, she'd promised.

“Well, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Ayatsurishi. I'm a big fan of your work.” Asami introduced, taking the chance to shake the blue-eyed Firebender's hand before the lot of them took their seats.

“Ah, Ms. Sato! It's my pleasure. Congratulations on your betrothal, by the way. I bumped into your fiancee a little earlier, but I never did get to congratulate the two of you. I wish you a long and happy marriage, whenever you two decide to tie that knot.” Ryuuki smiled, Asami returning the favor, thanking him for his kind wishes. “I've been told that your company will be putting my donation to good use in rebuilding the poorer neighborhoods of the city. I look forward to seeing this place get back on its feet – it's really done a lot for me, and it hurts seeing it in such a desperate state. 2 million yuans isn't really all that much in the long run, but... it's a start.” He explained.

“2 million yuans is more than a start, that should be enough to get a couple of neighborhoods fully restored, at least.” Asami replied. “It might not fix the whole city, but maybe it'll inspire similar donations from others. Either way, I will see to it that Future Industries makes the most of it.” She assured. Ryuuki nodded, finishing up with Asami and walking over to meet the rest of Varrick's guests, shaking the hands of Raiko and Buttercup, Varrick and Zhu Li, almost the entirety of the Beifong family and Pema and Tenzin and all of the Airbender kids save for Rohan and Jinora, who recoiled almost as soon as his hand had touched hers. 

Ryuuki and Tenzin both raised an eyebrow while Jinora just stood there, shocked, looking as though she'd just seen a ghost. What the hell _was_ that? When she touched him, it almost felt like... Kai immediately tended to the girl, asking her if something was wrong, but she quickly shook her head and shrugged off whatever it was that had caught her off guard, claiming that she was fine and smiling once again, immediately reaching her arm back out to shake his hand more confidently. “Sorry; when I touched your hand, you kind of shocked me, it was weird. Just some static electricity, I guess.” She explained, a little uncertain of her rationalization but adhering to it nonetheless. Ryuuki laughed.

“Sorry about that. I was practicing my Lightningbending earlier this evening, I guess there was still a little pent up energy. I'm surprised I didn't shock anybody else, though. Hmm... weird.” Ryuuki shrugged. Must've been a fluke.

“You can Lightningbend?” Mako asked, the blue-haired man simply nodding in response. Well, he _was_ described as a talented Firebender...

“Just a little something I picked up over the years. I'm not really much of a fighter, but I take my bending practice pretty seriously.” He smiled, Mako smirking in response. It'd been a while since he'd encountered another Lightningbender. At least, one that wasn't dead or a Triad member, anyway.

Right then, with introductions out of the way and everybody finally seated, it was time to make that donation of his and get this show on the road. Adjusting his suit and tie, Ryuuki walked back over to the door and motioned for the press that were waiting outside to enter the balcony, bringing with them at least two separate photographers and a microphone he connected to the Arena's sound system, which they then handed to Ryuuki so that he could officially start off the premiere. Tapping it twice to make sure that it was on, the blue-eyed Firebender took a deep breath and began his opening speech.

“Right, is this thing on? Excellent, excellent...” He opened, clearly at a bit of a loss as to how to start this thing. “...Ah, how do you even start something like this?” He asked rather awkwardly, scratching the top of his head. “Well, I guess the best place to start would be a formal welcome to the premiere my new mover, as well as a thank you to everybody for actually showing up. I know that things haven't really been all that great in Republic City lately, especially these last few days, but that's why I really wanted to put this thing together and why I decided to make it free to the public, so that anybody could participate, regardless of how badly they were or weren't affected by Kuvira's attack.” Ryuuki opened, gradually settling in to the role of public speaker.

“I've said it before in interviews, but Republic City is where I got my start. I was just a poor immigrant from the Fire Nation before an up and coming mover director saw me and decided to give me a chance at stardom, right here, in this city. It was a small film, but it led to big things. It changed everything. _Republic City_ changed everything. In the end though, I'm just an actor, there's not much _I_ can really do. But I _can_ at least put on a show and devote some of my personal fortune to seeing this city shine once again, and to that end, I am officially donating this check of 2 million yuans to President Raiko of the United Republic and Ms. Sato of Future Industries, in hopes that with this donation, I may be able to help the people who once helped me.” He concluded.

The crowd cheered and cameras flashed as Ryuuki signed the check in question, Raiko and Asami rising from their seats to accept it, the three of them posing for a picture together with the large check in hand before the press at the back of the balcony left the group to their evening, though they were sure to snap at least one more picture of Korra and Asami together before they did, much to the Avatar's chagrin. Korra wasn't really comfortable with making such a public spectacle out of her relationship, but... pomp and circumstance. Right now, Republic City could use a little distraction, so as its Avatar, for now, this was just the role she'd have to fill. 

With the press finally gone and the donation out of the way, the time had finally come for the start of the mover, Ryuuki leaning out of the balcony and giving the crew assembled around the projector in the balcony to their left the go ahead to get started. _Finally_. 

Korra smiled, holding on to her fiancee's hand as “The Dancing Dragons” finally began, visibly excited to be watching her very first mover. And for the first hour and a half or so of the nearly 2 hour film, everything went off without a hitch. Korra was almost immediately absorbed into the world of the mover, and Opal looked like a kid in a candy shop, excited to see one of her favorite books come to life on screen. Even Lin and Mako seemed to be getting into the story somewhat, though they kept their attention even split between the mover and the crowd, keeping a look out for anything out of the ordinary, which for most of the mover, was nothing. However, just as the group had feared, an event as big as this one was just too good to pass up... as nice as the night had been thus far, there was just no chance that it could last forever.

Out of nowhere, Korra's grip on Asami's hand had drastically tightened, almost causing the engineer to yelp in surprise as the Water Tribe girl almost doubled over in shock, feeling sick to her stomach for the second time that day, the same brutally intense feeling she'd experienced in the Spirit Wilds earlier on having suddenly overtaken her. “No...” She whispered, Asami becoming increasingly alarmed as her fiancee looked to be becoming increasingly more distraught.

“Korra!?” She nearly shouted, immediately jumping out of her seat and kneeling down in front of her, tending to the girl and catching the group by surprise. Was something wrong? A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Korra's face, her body feeling as though it was going numb. This feeling... this wasn't good. There was no doubt about it, she knew _exactly_ what this was. And she wasn't the only one feeling it, too – Jinora was also being affected by the sudden spiritual presence, feeling as though her head was about to pop and screaming out in pain as she raised her hands to hold onto it, shocked by the sudden pressure and associated agony, Kai and Tenzin both almost having a heart attack at the sound of Jinora's voice.

“Jinora, what's wrong?” Kai asked, Raiko and Varrick exchanging a look. Had the Chi Eater decided to show up after all? Raiko looked over in Lin's direction, who in turn looked over in Mako's, the two police officials exchanging a nod as the group in the balcony began to stir. Alarmed by Korra's and Jinora's sudden reaction, Ryuuki looked over to Bolin and Opal to his left, the two of them having risen to their seats to tend to the girls in question, the blue-haired mover star looking confused as to what was going on. Had they suddenly gotten sick or something?

“? What's going on?” Ryuuki asked as his and Varrick's guests began rising from their seats, growing increasingly more agitated. Su and her kids immediately looked over to Lin, asking what was going on, the Chief of Police shrugging her shoulders but stating she had an idea, telling her sister and her family to get ready to leave the area. Ryuuki's eyes narrowed. Something was going on, something bad. “Is the Avatar alright? Did something happen?” He asked.

“Something's coming. Something bad. I haven't felt anything like this since...” Jinora replied, continuing to hold onto her head with her hands, Korra beginning doing the same as her ears began violently ringing. Talk about spiritual pressure, it felt their skulls were about ready to explode. What the hell _was_ this thing? This was almost like...

“It almost feels worse than Vaatu...” Korra whispered. The color drained from Asami's face as it hit her what was going on. _It was coming_. Korra released her grip of Asami's hand and clenched her fists, taking a deep breath and shaking off the sickening feeling that was overtaking her and rising up from her seat, catching her fiancee by surprise. “Everybody, get ready – it's coming. The Chi Eater's here.” She warned, closing her eyes and trying to calm herself down and ease the ringing in her head. 

Everybody's expressions immediately became grim, Ryuuki's especially. So, the Chi Eater had decided to attack his event after all, had it? He glanced over at the President who was now rising from his seat with his wife, the two of them being escorted by Lin and Mako out of the balcony along with Varrick and Zhu Li. It seemed as though they'd planned for this in advance, fully expecting the Chi Eater to show up at one point or another during the evening, though everybody gathered at least _hoped_ that it wouldn't. But since when had things ever been easy for them?

Before the mover star could press the group for more answers, however, the power within the Arena flickered, the projector cutting in and out as a low _thud_ resounded from the opposite end of the building like distant thunder. An eerie silence befell the room as everybody became deathly still, the power flickering again as another _thud_ echoed, this one causing the sea of attendees below to whisper amongst themselves. Was this part of the show? 

Suddenly, a woman's shrill scream broke the silence and a wall in the stands opposite the side of the VIP balcony exploded open, an otherworldly screech piercing the Arena as a writhing black and blue _thing_ made its presence known, Korra immediately falling to her knees as she and everybody else in the makeshift theater covered their ears with their hands, tightly closing their eyes in discomfort. It was here.

The Chi Eater disappeared into a blur in what sounded like a clap of thunder, smashing into the center of the Pro Bending Ring with enough force to make the entire man made island shake, positioning itself to get the best possible view of the now screaming sea of potential targets all around it. As it growled and surveyed its new hunting grounds, the Arena erupted into panic, the lights continuing to flicker on and off and the sound system no longer functional as people rushed to find an exit, crawling over one another in horror.

Korra quickly reoriented herself, rising back onto her feet and feeling as though she'd been hit in the head with a brick. So much for a nice night on the town. Things would never be easy for her, would they? “Everybody get out of here now! I'm going to go put an end to this thing's killing spree once and for all!” Korra demanded, ripping off her suit's jacket and tie and cracking her neck as she walked over to the end of the balcony, getting ready to hop up onto the ledge and jump down into the ring with an Airbending assist – and she would have, too, if Bolin hadn't suddenly grabbed hold of her arm and interrupted her.

“Not alone you're not!” The Earthbender announced, immediately grabbing hold of his friend's arm in order to stop her from doing something stupid. “You heard what Gonzo said, Korra, this thing's no joke. I'm not letting you rush in there alone.” He declared as he let go, Opal frowning and Korra grimacing in response. She was afraid this was going to happen. “Opal, stay close to Su and the rest of your family – I'll take care of this.” Bolin said, the young Beifong reluctantly nodding in agreement. Korra grit her teeth, but before she could speak up and protest, her intentions were interrupted now by Tenzin, echoing the Earthbender's sentiments.

“Neither am I. Su, Opal, Jinora – you three make sure that our families make it out of here safe and sound and then see if you can't help Lin's department evacuate the area in a more orderly fashion. I'm going to help Korra and Bolin take this thing down once and for all.” Tenzin exclaimed, an especially determined expression on his face. There would be no “cutting and running” this time – he was going to make sure that this thing was stopped before it got anywhere near _his_ family. The three in question nodded, grabbing their respective families and heading out for the exit. 

Korra, however, remained obstinate, not wanting to get anybody else involved in this or put any of her friends in harm's way. This wasn't another bender or some new machine or anything like that, this was a spirit. This was Avatar business, and _dangerous_ business at that. She wasn't about to let them die because of her or some monster her past lives had failed to take care of for more than a thousand years.

“Bolin, Tenzin, I appreciate it, but you guys should leave this to me. We don't know what this thing is fully capable of, I don't want you to–” Before she could finish, however, Asami had caught her fiancee's attention in the same way as Bolin, grabbing hold of her arm and cutting her off with a look more intense than she'd seen in months, the blue-eyed girl closing her mouth and immediately falling silent. Asami was pissed.

“Don't even think about it, Korra.” She harshly warned, knowing full well what her fiancee was thinking. She wanted to go down there and play hero all by her lonesome again. She got that this was pretty much the Avatar's job, but it was insanity to go at this thing alone when she had absolutely no reason to. 

“Asami, I–” The green-eyed girl shook her head, interrupting Korra before she could say anything else.

“You know what spirits are capable of, but so do they. You're going to need all the help you can get, Korra. You are _not_ taking that thing on alone, not if you don't have to.” Asami declared, Korra sighing in frustration. This girl was never going to let her have her way, was she?

“No, she's not.” Ravi replied, finally rising up from his seat. He'd remained remarkably calm during recent downturn in events, but as he began cracking his neck and knuckles and loosening up for the impending fight, it seemed as though he was finally starting to get a little fired up, not that his face really showed it. But his eyes... those eyes didn't lie. “Asami, you should help Su and the others with evacuating the Arena. Leave this one to us benders.” He suggested, the engineer nodding in response. She knew she didn't stand a chance against a spirit, she just wanted to make sure her fiancee wasn't an idiot before she left. She looked back to Korra, her emerald eyes alight with both determination and concern, the Water Tribe girl's own unable to focus on them for more than a second before looking away. In that one instant, it'd become abundantly clear whose will was strongest here. She really wasn't going to be able to argue this one.

“Aye, aye, I'm not about to let this thing get away from here alive, either, y'know.” Ryuuki stated with reluctance, shaking his head and undoing his cuffs to remove his suit's jacket, much like Korra before him. Seemed he was going to be jumping into the fray, as well. “It just ruined my premiere, and right before the end of the mover, no less! I'm not about to let it undo everything I've worked for completely unpunished.” He spat, gritting his teeth. He didn't really like to fight, but he wasn't about to let this thing walk all over his premiere plans, either. He was trying to do something nice for the city, and this thing was kind of the exact opposite of that. It was going to _pay_.

“You guys...” Korra trailed, not really sure what to say. Her eyes darted back over to Asami's, the dark-haired girl's hold on the Avatar's left arm never having loosened since she'd grabbed hold a few minutes prior. The two remained silent, speaking entirely through the look they shared alone, Korra's aqua-colored eyes welling up with concern for the older girl and urging her to get going while also lacking the stubborn recklessness of before, a detail which drew a sigh of relief from Asami's lips, as well as a slight smile. Asami nodded, sure that Lin and Mako would be joining in as well once they had the situation with the rest of the mover's attendees under control.

“Don't do anything stupid, Korra.” Asami warned, finally letting go of her fiancee's arm. “Be careful down there, okay?” She wished. Korra smiled warmly, giving the taller girl a brief kiss on the lips, brushing a lock of hair from her face as she pulled away, nodding once.

“I will be. Don't worry.” She promised. “You're just lucky our friends are a bunch of dumbasses,” She began with a smirk, turning around as the look on her face became a bit more confident, pounding her fist into her hand as she pumped herself up for the upcoming fight. “As you're so keen on reminding me, I'm not alone, right?” She asked, looking over at Ryuuki, Bolin, Tenzin and Ravi to her right and left, the four of them looking about as determined as she was, the newly-trained Metalbender on her far left giving a cocky grin of his own. Fighting alongside the Avatar, huh? He was kind of glad he'd showed up to this premiere after all.

Two Earthbenders, an Airbender, a Firebending actor and herself, the Avatar. If this wouldn't be enough to stop the Chi Eater in its tracks, she didn't know what would be. Hopping on to the ledge of the balcony as Asami walked off to locate Lin and the others, confident that Korra would be alright, the girl in question narrowed her eyes, focusing intently on the exceptionally dark-colored spirit-like creature that was still affixed to the center of the Pro Bending Ring. It looked unstable, as though it wasn't able to completely maintain its current form, and had an eerie azure glow to its otherwise pitch-dark translucent body. Why hadn't it launched any attacks yet? It must've gone through a couple of Metalbenders on its way here through that wall – was it still digesting their chi, maybe?

Whatever the case, her target now was clear. No more hiding, no more running, no more worrying – it was time to take this fucker down, once and for all. Taking one more deep breath in and out, Korra resolved herself for whatever was about to happen next. 

“Alright, let's get this show on the road.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so begins the first major action scene of "Forever". Prepare yourselves, this thing's going to be insane - Korra and co. have *never* faced a foe quite like this before. All that being said, I have no idea when Chapter 6 will be out, but it should come out a lot quicker than this one did, at least. It may or may not turn out to be a shorter chapter then the last few have been, but they've really been dragging on lately and things are probably going to be getting pretty intense by the end of it, so maybe that's not such a bad thing. Whatever the case, I'll try and have it out before the end of February at the very latest.


	6. A Night at the Theater, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle against the mysterious Chi Eater has finally begun, but can Korra and her friends really quell the rage of this abominable spirit?

# Book Five  
Chi  
  
Chapter Six  
A Night at the Theater, Part 2

“Alright, let's get this show on the road.”

There was no time to waste. This thing had to go down, _now_. Before she had even resolved herself to leap from the balcony's edge, Korra had fired off some rather impressively sized blasts of fire from her fists with two energetic punches into the air, only deciding to leap as she sent her left fist forward to deliver the second attack, propelling herself toward the Pro Bending Ring in the middle of the Arena with a leap enhanced by a forceful expulsion of air from her feet. At the same time, Ravi and Ryuuki reinforced Korra's Firebending assault with attacks of their own, the two of them working both separately and together simultaneously as they almost instinctively pooled their efforts to get as much done in as short a time as possible.

Ravi struck first, the red-haired giant taking on a stance not too dissimilar from a modern day boxer and striking at the air twice with his fists, a right and left jab, bending two sizable chunks of the wall from behind the recently cleared stadium seats below them in the Chi Eater's direction, demonstrating a considerable level of strength and Earthbending proficiency by the scale and speed of the stone he had slung while Ryuuki immediately resorted to his Lightningbending, electrical power building in his finger tips as he began to trace an unusual path. He first drew his right arm up and above his left shoulder before pulling it down and behind him on his right side, Bolin getting that same sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach that he got whenever his brother conjured up lightning and looking immediately to his left, captivated by his acting idol's proficiency with his given element. 

Ryuuki craned his body along with the movements of his arm, crouching down into what was essentially a low stance as he fully extended his limb behind him, his movements looking strained and deliberate, like he was pushing back a spring and building up tension as electricity trailed his movements. Then, violently, Ryuuki sprang back up and forward into a standing position, his chest now facing Bolin to his left, his right arm being thrust forward with tremendous force, bright blue lightning exploding from the tips of his middle and index fingers and aimed straight for the Chi Eater's core. He may not have liked to fight, but that wasn't to say he didn't know how – clearly, Ryuuki was a force to be reckoned with.

Meanwhile, the younger Earthbender to Ryuuki's left regained his bearings, shaking off the uncomfortable feeling associated with lightning conjuring as he stepped back as far as he could, preparing himself mentally for what he was about to do and then simply running forward as fast as his legs could carry him, leaping from the balcony at the same instant Ryuuki released his wrath, bending the stone beneath his feet to boost the distance he could leap while Tenzin simply engaged the wings of his trusty glider suit, bending the air currents so that he could soar smoothly down to the battlefield at the building's core. 

Their attacks now completed, Ryuuki and Ravi followed suit, Ryuuki propelling himself with intense jets of flame from his fists while Ravi mimicked Bolin, the four benders having _just_ propelled themselves through the air when Korra landed on the edge of the Pro Bending Ring, coming face to face with the so-called Chi Eater.

Sensing the nearby manipulation of chi, the abomination in question snapped to attention, its dripping black form looking in the direction of the VIP balcony only to witness two sizable blasts of fire, two large chunks of stone and a rather painful looking bolt of lightning heading straight for it. A low growl emanated from the creature's throat that sounded like an old engine struggling to turn, its form beginning to blur before it had even moved, darting first to its immediate left and then to its right, almost looking as though it was teleporting with the speed at which it was moving, avoiding the initial attacks from Korra and Ravi while it manipulated its body to create a literal hole for the lightning to pass through its center unimpeded, returning to its usual state immediately after. Clearly, it was taunting them.

It was around the time that the lightning had zipped through the malleable monstrosity's body that Korra had made contact with the Pro Bending Ring, noting its obvious taunt but remaining undeterred. She immediately shifted elements from Fire to Earth as she pulled up multiple earthen discs from the arena's floor and hurled them at the spirit-like entity with her punches. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5: 5 Pro Bending discs, but the creature didn't even bother to move, permitting them to collide with its semi-gelatinous form and shatter harmlessly against its “flesh”, the azure glow that surrounded it seeming to pulsate at a steady rhythm that mimicked its breathing, which remained calm and steady. From this close, its spiritual presence was almost crippling, but Korra persevered, huffing once and then taking a moment to get a good, long look at her elusive foe.

The creature which she had taken to calling the Chi Eater stood at almost twice her height, hovering somewhere around 10 or 11 feet tall, and did not in any way resemble anything from our world – or the Spirit World, for that matter. It looked unstable, almost as though it was sick, and its “flesh” was in a constant state of flux. Beyond the thin azure aura that matched the color of its similarly glowing blank, circular eyes, the outer layer of its body was literally dripping off of it and onto the ground like viscous, inky raindrops, collecting into oily black puddles which almost seemed to radiate darkness and which quickly disappeared whenever it moved, and never seemed to grow beyond a certain point. 

Similarly, no matter how much of its form dripped from its elbows, knees and chin, it never seemed to actually lose any mass, a seemingly infinite amount of its “flesh” pooling back to replace whatever was lost. While it lacked teeth in a traditional sense, its mouth and jaw were shaped in such a way that jagged protrusions that could be conceivably referred to as teeth stood in as their replacement, and as it stared at her, simply breathing, Korra could see an eerie azure glow like the one that surrounded it emanating from its throat, coming from somewhere deep within and illuminating a forked, serpentine tongue. 

A long whip-like tail lashed out behind it as it stared the Avatar down, studying her, smelling her, _memorizing_ her. She could feel a chill run down her spine as she stared the crouching creature down in turn, studying it in the same way it was studying her, Korra questioning what the hell she was actually looking at right now. Was this thing really a spirit? It was beyond anything she had ever encountered before, it was beyond anything she'd ever even conceived of before. From up this close, it felt... it felt... 

Suddenly, everything went black, Korra's sense of hearing overtaken by the sound of a dozen voices whispering at once and talking over one another from all around her, desperate to reach out to her and capture her attention. The young Avatar froze, her eyes wide, beads of sweat beginning to form and roll down the side of her face as she struggled to listen to the countless indiscernible whispers, the world around her having been reduced to one of infinite nothingness, impenetrable black surrounding her so that only she and the alarmingly calm Chi Eater remained. Its breaths were slow, rhythmic and deafening while hers were short and shallow, painful. 

Fear coursed through her veins as the whispers grew louder and louder and louder still, becoming increasingly more desperate all the while, her body not responding to her terrified demands to move. She was petrified, her eyes locked on to the Chi Eater's own as she felt as though a message was being etched into her consciousness, a message she somehow felt to be the same as the whispers she couldn't decipher. Korra gulped, feeling every letter, every syllable carving itself into the periphery of her awareness, broken, shaky, struggled. Was it... asking for her help? 

 

"̶̛͉̹̪̤̥̫͇ͤ͌ͧͬ͛͂s̰̱̠̭̠̯̒́ͯ̿ͧ͌̃̊͘.͕͍̺͇̅̄ͨ̋ͬ͞.̨̖̱̻͙̬͚̳͇̞͐ͤ̽̎͘.̵̱̜̳̟̣̙̝ͣ̄̇a̶͔͖ͭ̾̅̾ͨv̨̰͖̥̲̮̤̤̎͂̀ͦ̑ͧ͆͊̾.̷̨͖̲͙̳̰̹̩͕̎̆.̸̧̦̞̺͔̓ͣ̃ͦ̐̌ͬ͡ͅ.̭̞͉̣͕̞̯̀ͤͅè̴̻̳̞̘̓͌ ̫͖̬̲̣̣̺͈̑̊̂̿́̓ͮ̍u̸̪͈̬̩̣̞̣͎̔ͫ̓ͅ.̲͍̠̬͌̓̑̔ͪͬͯ̿́͞.̴͕̪͖͎͌ͨ̊͝.̢̰̪͛̃͐̂͝ͅͅsͧ͐̔ͭ͏̬͖̣.̸̧̮̼̠̪͉͔̼̣ͨ͒̾.̘͙͉̐ͪ.͚̘͙͖̂̋̄̅͂ͪ̔͛͌ͅ"̰͔̳̈͗͗ͦ͆̑ͯ̌̚͞ 

 

“...What?” She whispered, her gaze softening. Did she just... hear that? The terror that had paralyzed her moments before was now replaced by confusion, the blue-eyed girl hesitantly extending her right arm as if she were about to reach out to the Chi Eater, which simply continued to stand there, quiet, calm. It just breathed as she lowered her arm again, the sensation of another message etching itself into her consciousness stopping her before she could get any closer.

 

"̸͕͎̯̳̭̩̖͈̮̋͞f̧̬̩̳̦̒ͬrͣ͏̵̪̗̼͚̘̦̗̘̀ͅȅ̶̢̩͊̆.̷̴̙̬̗͎̟͈͌̇̇͞.̵̡̲͉̜̞̋ͥͬͭͦ͒̏̉͂͘.̨̛͓͓̏̑͑ͣ͗e̸̵̞͚̣̰̣̗ͮ̓̽̓̇ͭ̚͝.̩̰͖͕͒ͬ͒͋̒̆̀͟.̧̯̳͓͍̝͑ͭ́͟.̡̨̜͇̹̖͕̙̏ͤ͊̏̾ͤͨ̚͘ ̨͔̰̟̮͉̮͍̜͂̑̾̄̚͢u̶̬͂̓̄̃̇ͪͪ.̛̹ͩ͆ͣͣ͋ͣ̄̚.ͤͦ͐͆̃̓̽̾̑̕͏͙̭͎͈.̦͇̤ͥͤ͒͌̈̒ͬ̀͠s̹͔̎̇́̽͗͟.̶̶̵̠͚̬̳̤̃̋͐̑͒.̧̗̹̻̺͕͇̻͇̘̎ͬ́̉.̸̦͔̱͇ͭ̎͛̄̓ͣ͗́͝ ̼̠̿̅͑̈́̐p̅̀͆҉̳̘͇́l̵̖̙͙̲ͯ̇̌ͯe̵̼̱̗̾ͧ̈́̇ả̡̰̞̙̽ͣ̈̓̂̓̉̕͘s̸̖̤͕̘͈̙̘͇̄͑̅͑ͮ̔ͤ̋͝.͚̼͎̞̖̱̟̎ͧ̈́̌̆̓͡.ͨ̍̽̉҉̟͝.̡̟̙̙̟̎̄̿̀e̶͛̽̀̿ͭ͏̼͖̕"̖̮̝͐̀͗ͨ͟ 

 

“I...” Was it... was it asking Korra to save it? From what? She had no idea what to say, what to ask. The things it was asking her – or, at least, that she thought it was asking her – were at odds with its sickening aura and the look in its eyes, at odds with everything it had done up until this point, the people it had killed. Suddenly, the Chi Eater pulled its body back, inhaling deeply, Korra's eyes widening as she snapped back to reality and the world returned to normal around her. 

“What!?” She yelped in surprise, looking around. What just happened? Was she back? Was she ever even gone? Before she could completely regain her bearings, she could see it, in the corner of her eye – the monster was finally preparing to do something. Whipping her head back around to face her opponent, Korra instinctively threw up her hands to Firebend in its direction and defend herself, but she was too late. It was ready to attack.

“GYYYYYYYYYYAAAAHHHH!!!!” The creature lunged forward again, its mouth swinging open and inky black blots of its revolting form flying out as they dripped from its teeth like saliva, releasing an ear-piercing scream that generated a shock wave which sent Korra flying off of the side of the ring not even 15 seconds after she'd set foot on it, the Water Tribe girl landing in the water below with a loud splash.

“Korra!” Tenzin cried out, reorienting his flight path before he had landed so that he could dive down toward the water and see if she was okay while Bolin, Ravi and Ryuuki landed on the ring to take on the so-called Chi Eater in his and the Avatar's stead. Now that it was done with its little staring contest with the Avatar, it no longer seemed content with simply standing there, its focus shifting from the direction it'd sent Korra flying as it turned to face the three new meals which had so generously delivered themselves to it without the need for it to chase them down. That same inky blackness dripped from its teeth like drool as it eyed the three benders, hungry. It was time to eat.

Meanwhile, down below, Korra bobbed up from the water affectionately referred to as “the drink” by those in the Pro Bending circuit, coughing the ice-cold liquid up out of her lungs as she dragged herself over to the area immediately beneath the ring where she, Mako and Bolin had been tied up by Equalists almost 4 years prior, trying to catch her breath. What the hell just happened? First she felt like her head was going to explode from this thing's presence alone, then it seemed as though she'd been transported to some other world, then it seemed like it was asking her for help, and then it just attacks her out of the blue? Why? What was it trying to do? Was any of that even real? 

As she took a moment to gather back up her strength and went over the events in her head, Tenzin swooped down from above, landing to her right and prompting the girl to look up at him as he immediately came to her aid, making sure that she was okay. As she looked up, she felt a sharp pain in her head, the pressure she'd been feeling before not having subsided any, especially not after a blow like that. If she didn't have a migraine before, she definitely had one now. “Korra, are you okay? What happened?” He asked.

“That's what I'd like to know...” Korra mumbled, rubbing the side of her head in an attempt to relieve her pain, still puzzling over what'd just happened to her. If that was real, then maybe Tenzin had seen something? Hoping he might be able to help shed some light on the situation, she looked up at her old Airbending instructor, skipping straight to the point, as per usual. “Did I... disappear?” She asked. It felt like she did. It felt like she'd been taken... _somewhere_. Somewhere dark, cold, lonely. Somewhere there was no hope, there was no escape. It felt so real, she wondered if maybe it was. But Tenzin looked confused, raising an eyebrow at her question.

“...What? Disappear?” He asked, hoping he could get some more details out of her, but the look in her eyes told him she was still trying to figure those out, herself. “...No. You landed in front of the Chi Eater, got in a few hits with your Earthbending, and then you just... stood there. Neither of you did anything until the four of us were about to land, then it suddenly arched itself back, screamed and sent you flying over the edge.” Tenzin explained. Korra looked down. So... it wasn't real? Then that message... was it all just in her head? She reviewed what she thought had happened again.

From Korra's perspective, her encounter with the Chi Eater felt as though it had dragged on for well over a minute, perhaps even two, and had thrust her into some sort of alternate world, somewhere dark and inescapable, separate from both the Physical and Spiritual Worlds. From what Tenzin had described, however, it seemed that from the perspective of everybody else, the scene had unfolded very differently and much more quickly, with Korra landing on the Pro Bending Ring first, firing off a few earthen discs, and then just standing there completely motionless for 10 seconds while she and the Chi Eater stared each other down. Was that what _really_ happened?

“Did you... go somewhere?” He asked. Korra fell silent. _Did_ she go somewhere? 

“...I... don't know.” Was all she could think to reply. She really didn't know. Tenzin looked concerned. Could her status as the Avatar have left her open to some form of spiritual attack they hadn't anticipated? Korra huffed. Even face-to-face, nothing about this “Chi Eater” made any sense to her. But after what she'd just experienced, she was beginning to wonder. Maybe there was more to this thing and this situation than she'd been led to believe. Maybe things weren't quite exactly as they appeared. 

Clearly, this... _thing_ was responsible for the killings, it'd been witnessed performing them the other night. But she wondered... what was responsible for turning it into what it was in the first place? And if it really was the cold-blooded killer following a 25 year feeding cycle she'd first heard about at the precinct, then why was it asking her for help? Could that have been something else? Maybe it didn't even happen at all. Maybe she just froze in fear and hallucinated the whole thing. Maybe she was just starting to go crazy under all this pressure. Sensing her frustration, Raava stirred, catching the Avatar's attention. Korra could feel it – she wanted to talk. Tenzin hummed, opening his mouth to speak, but before he could ask anymore questions, he was interrupted by Korra, who was announcing a new plan of attack for the time being. 

“I'm going to talk to Raava. Get back up there and help Bolin, Ravi and Ryuuki hold this thing off and keep it away from my body while I try to come up with some answers and a battle plan.” She requested, Tenzin nodding in understanding and leaving her side as directed, heading back up to the Pro Bending Ring above to lend some Air support. Korra might not have had the wisdom of her past lives to call on anymore, but that didn't mean the Avatar was alone. She still had Raava. She would always have Raava. Sighing, Korra adjusted her sitting position to that of the lotus, closing her eyes and putting her fists together, meditating so that she could contact the spirit of light intertwined with her soul and bring her consciousness to the surface.

 _“Raava, what is this thing? Was any of what just happened to me real?”_ Korra asked, desperate for some answers and hoping the spirit inside of her might have some insight into the situation that she didn't.

 _“Do not second guess yourself, Korra, what you experienced was real. I felt it too, that spirit was calling out to us. And yes – mutilated though it may be, that is in fact a spirit, and a very powerful one at that.”_ Raava corroborated, causing the young Avatar to let out a proverbial sigh of relief. So she wasn't going crazy. At least there was that. But what she said about it being a spirit troubled her. After finally seeing the thing with her own eyes, she could definitely see that it wasn't human or animal, but it didn't look like any spirit she'd ever seen, either. What ever could happened to it to have turned it into that? Was it a side-effect of its infamous chi eating, perhaps?

 _“So then what I saw... that was...”_ She began, trying to piece the situation together in her mind.

 _“That was its soul. I do not know what happened to that spirit, nor what spirit it is, but it has been gravely corrupted. It feels... unnatural. Whatever has caused this spirit to become what you saw has ripped it apart from the inside out in doing so, it is incredibly unstable. I am also unable to get a clear sense of it. Even now, when I am certain of its location, I feel a degree of uncertainty, as though it is bouncing between multiple places at once and its energy is being twisted up and contorted by something, manipulated. In truth, it almost feels as though it is not one, but multiple spirits.”_ Raava explained. Multiple spirits? That would certainly explain the spiritual pressure she was feeling whenever it drew near. No wonder it felt worse than Vaatu. Strong as he was, even Vaatu was just one spirit, in the end. If that was the case... if this felt like multiple spirits...

 _“...If that's the case... if this thing is eating people's chi... could it be eating their souls, as well?”_ Korra asked. What was she getting at? _“If it can eat spirits whole and kill them, then maybe the people that it kills suffer a similar fate. Do you think... do you think that maybe everybody it's ever killed, human or spirit, is still alive in there, somewhere? Trapped? Do you think that maybe they temporarily managed to take control of it so that they could ask us for help?”_ Raava thought for a moment. 

It wasn't impossible. After all, she had done it in the past so that the current Avatar could maintain a connection to their past lives and call upon their wisdom for guidance in times of trouble, but this was a little bit different from that. Raava and the Avatar existed willingly as one, while the Chi Eater appeared to be forcing this scenario onto others by devouring their energy whole, collecting it inside of itself for some unknown purpose. She couldn't fathom why a spirit would want to do this, but she was beginning to believe that perhaps Korra was on to something. She couldn't help but wonder how intact these spirits actually were, however, and if maybe what'd made contact with her and Korra were little more than ghosts, crying out one more time for the Chi Eater's cycle to be put to an end, once and for all; residual imprints of spirits that once were, but had since degraded into little more than fuel for this eternal nightmare.

 _“...I do not know for sure. If it is indeed eating other spirits, then I suppose it might be possible, yes, just as it is possible that this gravely corrupted state is something it has inflicted upon itself. For all we know, we may have yet to make contact with the central spirit responsible for all of these killings. The only thing that leaves me perplexed is the reason as to why a spirit would willingly do this to itself, let alone inflict such harm onto others in the process. It is drawing tremendous amounts of power from those it has devoured, but it seems as though it is barely able to contain it all. I cannot fathom why a spirit of all things would seek such destructive capability. It seems more like something your kind would seek to do... no offense.”_ Korra laughed.

 _“No, you're right, it does seem like a very human thing to do. Well, if we operate off of this theory, then maybe things aren't so hopeless after all. If I can get it pinned down, I might be able to use Unalaq's purification ritual to free the spirits trapped within it and undo the damage it's done to itself. We might be able to not just stop it, but save it, too.”_ If Raava had a face, she would be smiling right about now. It touched her soul to see such kindness in her Avatars. Even after all it had done, Korra still wished to save this spirit as opposed to kill it, though she knew her avatar had resolved herself to do just that if the situation called for it. Raava, too, was prepared. She honestly had no idea which way this battle would go, she didn't believe she'd ever encountered anything quite like this creature before. 

_“As vile as that man was, I must admit that his knowledge of spiritual matters was extensive, and his healing technique is quite useful. I will have to be sure to pass it down to future Avatars, along with Energybending.”_ Raava thought aloud. Korra smirked. And what was she, chopped liver? The Avatar cycle would be starting over with her – she'd be there to pass those things down as well. _“Just be warned, Korra, I do not believe what contacted us is fully sentient, anymore. Even if we may be able to save the Chi Eater, the spirits it has eaten may no longer be salvageable, let alone complete.”_ She warned.

 _“I know... but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try, anyway.”_ Korra replied. It was worth a shot. Having discussed the matter with Raava as far as she thought she'd be able to, Korra opened her eyes, returning to the real world. Her ears twitched as they caught wind of the sounds of battle raging on above, the young Water Tribe girl wondering how long she had spent meditating when taken in real time. If that encounter with the Chi Eater – or rather, the souls trapped inside of the Chi Eater – had shown her anything, it was that time flowed differently in one's mind and soul than it did in reality. Like a dream, one could suppose. 

Now armed with what she felt to be a better understanding of the enemy she was faced with, Korra resolved herself once more for battle, shaking off the pain of its presence and determined to set free those it had imprisoned inside of itself. As much as she may have wanted to know why the Chi Eater was doing all of this, it was far from the most important thing right now. Rising quickly back onto her feet with an Airbending assist, Korra ran to the edge of the concrete foundation and jumped back into the water the Chi Eater had knocked her into moments prior, diving down as deep as she could go before shifting into the Avatar State and calling on Raava's power for assistance, rotating the water violently around her as she propelled herself back up to its surface with her Waterbending.

Back atop the Pro Bending Ring, Tenzin, Ravi, Ryuuki and Bolin were engaged in a fierce battle with the corrupted spirit, the devastatingly malleable monster weaving and contorting through oncoming attacks from Tenzin and Ryuuki with little effort, the unusual intensity of the actor's flames no help against a foe he couldn't even touch. Perhaps the only one actually landing any hits at the moment was Ravi, the tall, dark-skinned man that was built like a tank sending disc after disc in the Chi Eater's direction, fully aware he wasn't harming it, but drawing its attention with each strike aimed at its head long enough to let his allies escape from one of its attacks unharmed, the dark spirit relying upon its innate physical strength more than anything for the time being, attacking with whips of its tail and swings of its arms with the occasional sonic screech.

This time, Ravi was providing cover for Bolin, who was currently trying to make his way around the softly glowing entity to blindside it with his Lavabending, having grown painfully aware that his standard Earthbending wasn't going to work. His plan now was to attack it from behind with two Pro Bending discs he would be manually liquefying to a magmatic state, hoping he might be able to do some tangible damage to the thing with his bending sub skill but keenly aware he'd never be able to touch it if it saw what he was doing or otherwise became aware of what he was capable of. So while Ravi and Ryuuki ran point on distraction with Airbending assistance from Tenzin and Ryu (who'd also joined in the fray pissed off that this thing had ruined his mover), he would sneak up from behind it and lop off its rather troublesome tail with one Lava Disc and then lodge the second in its back.

Unfortunately, the creature appeared to be fully cognizant of everyone and everything around it, tracking them not by what it could see but rather what it could sense, using the chi they utilized in their bending against them to pinpoint their locations and keeping tabs on Bolin's movements regardless of whether or not it could actually see him run up from behind it, lashing out with its tail and catching him in its grip before he could call upon the discs he was looking to transform. Swinging the young Earthbender high into the air, as it twitched its tail to slam him rather painfully into the ground, the Chi Eater froze, sensing a phenomenally powerful rush of energy coming from its right, turning its head in the direction it'd sent the Avatar flying a few moments earlier, growling. Back up already, was she?

The Chi Eater uncoiled its tail, letting Bolin fall helplessly to the ground (his landing being cushioned by a pillow of air generated by Ryu) while Tenzin, Ravi and Ryuuki prepared to attack the creature in unison while it was distracted by Korra's activation of the Avatar State. However, as they raised their arms to bend at it, it leisurely swung out its left arm as it turned around to face the approaching Avatar head on, its swing accompanied by a wide and powerful shock wave that swept all three benders off their feet and sent them flying backwards several yards, their formidable foe looking on in curiosity as Korra rose to about its level off the side of the Pro Bending Ring, supported by a violently rotating column of water which encircled her feet and lower body.

She had brought with her two more pillars of violently circulating water, one to her right and one to her left, drills which she could whip around like giant tentacles which she was able to conjure and command with the assistance of Raava and the Avatar State. The Chi Eater growled. So this was the Avatar, after all. What an unassuming form Raava had reincarnated into this time. It was aware of who she was before with how it had studied her and the feeling of her chi, but with as easily as it had previously disposed of her, it appeared somewhat surprised by her tenacity. Screeching in defiance, Korra yelled right back at the thing in turn, sending the two pillars she intended to use as weapons at the creature simultaneously. The Chi Eater met them head-on, fully expecting a challenge now that the Avatar had finally come out to play.

The first column met resistance from the Chi Eater's left arm, meeting it as it was set to collide with its body, the violently circulating water effectively making the column a drill which began tearing away at its already dripping flesh at an alarming rate. Then came the second pillar, catching it from the other direction and drilling directly into its side, pushing it and its arm even further into the drill that was intent on piercing through its left limb, but it showed no fear, accepting each blow as if to taunt her again, as if to say “This won't work on me” as it desolidified and collapsed into a puddle into the ground, much to Korra's surprise.

“What!?” She yelped, the other fighters similarly surprised, her summoned watery weapons colliding into one another and canceling each other out, the girl suspending her bending and allowing them to fall to the ground into shallow pools of water on the surface of the ring, naturally collecting into and around slots built into the thing for Pro Bending Waterbenders. The Chi Eater than reassembled itself, almost looking as though it was amused, unhinging its jaw and aiming directly for Korra, a bright blue glow beginning to emanate from its belly, throat and mouth as she shifted out of the Avatar state. 

Korra knew this feeling. She knew what was coming. She was just surprised this thing was actually capable of doing it. Perhaps having all that chi and all those souls trapped inside of it gave it more power after all, an endless well of it to call upon whenever things got sticky? Whatever the case, this was bad. Very, _very_ bad. As energy was shaped and pooled in the Chi Eater's core, its body distorted, inflating and popping in places as though it was barely able to contain all of the power it was building up, the glow from its core getting brighter and brighter as it tracked Korra's evasive maneuvers, building spiritual energy to critical levels. Then, finally, it attacked.

She'd just barely managed to move out of the way when a blindingly bright blue beam of pure spiritual energy was discharged from the Chi Eater's form, a powerful laser on par with anything Vaatu or Kuvira's Spirit Cannon had ever dished out blasting through the side of the Pro Bending Arena, punching through it like it was cardboard, Korra landing back on the side of the ring and to the creature's left as its attack came to an end. It slowly turned to face her, Ravi, Ryuuki and Tenzin, the four of them tired, panting and terrified. This thing was even more powerful than they thought, and it _still_ seemed like it was just toying with them.

“Iiya, this isn't looking good for us...” Ryuuki groaned, stumbling backwards a couple of steps after seeing what it just did to the VIP balcony. How could one spirit be this much of a pain in the ass? To call the situation dire would be understating it. They desperately needed more benders, though he was quickly beginning to wonder if any number of them would be able to help or if this was just completely hopeless.

“Korra, please tell me you and Raava came up with a plan...” Tenzin begged, stepping back a bit and keeping his arms up and eyes trained on the Chi Eater as it slowly turned to face them again and walked in their direction.

“When I first came face-to-face with it, it contacted my spirit. Or rather, the spirits of those trapped inside of it did. This thing is drawing on the power of the chi and souls of those it's killed, human and spirit, to fuel its attacks and empower itself for some reason. The souls it has inside of it want out, though, which I think I can use to my advantage. If we can pin this thing down for a long enough, I _might_ be able to bend those souls and the extra energy out of this thing with Unalaq's technique and purify it.” Emphasis on might, it was easier said than done. This thing wasn't being fazed by anything they'd done to it thus far, pinning it down didn't exactly seem to be something that was currently feasible. But she had an idea. She just needed an opening. And with another bolt of lightning suddenly colliding with the imposing black beast's back, it looked as though she may have had it.

“Sorry to keep you guys waiting, Raiko and the others are safe now!” Mako shouted as he and Lin swooped in on one of her metal cables, the two of them coming face to face with a genuinely surprised Chi Eater as it turned to look in their direction, growling menacingly as the smoldering crater that'd been left in its back by Mako's Lightningbending gradually began to repair itself. It hadn't noticed their presences beforehand? It seemed to have everybody pinpointed back before Korra showed up, but now it seemed to be struggling to keep up. Was it because it was distracted with taunting and intimidating Korra and the others, or did it have something to do with that energy beam it'd just fired off?

“ _Spirits_ , that is one _ugly_ mother...” Lin remarked, staggering back a bit as she got a closer look at the illusive Chi Eater that'd been terrorizing her city. Now that she and Mako had relocated Raiko, Buttercup, Varrick and Zhu Li somewhere safe, and her family, the Airbender kids and Asami had taken charge of managing the evacuation back onto the mainland, the two of them were free to join in the fight, Ryu and Bolin coming up from behind them to lend their support as the Chi Eater adjusted itself to the new arrivals. It was now clearly outnumbered 8 to 1, but whether or not outnumbered also meant overpowered remained to be seen – and with what Korra had seen, she was leaning toward “not”. But it was now up against 3 Earthbenders, 2 Firebenders, 2 Airbenders and the Avatar. If nothing else, they should at least be able to challenge it.

“Now this... is fun...” Came the voice, labored and guttural, emanating from the Chi Eater itself. It spoke as though it had almost forgotten how and was struggling to find the words to express what it was feeling, a feeling it most closely approximated to joy. “Long time... since this many benders... let alone Avatar...” It expressed, its speech fragmented and inexperienced. It'd faced the Avatar before? “You all... die... become part of Us...” Korra grit her teeth. So this thing could talk after all, huh?

“Why are you doing this?” Korra asked, stepping forward defiantly, demanding an answer. “Why are you attacking humans and spirits? Why are you killing them? Why are you absorbing their energy into yourself?” The Chi Eater laughed, or at least, let out the closest thing to a laugh that it could muster, refusing to look back in Korra's direction as it answered.

“Need not know... only die...” Its intentions made clear, the Chi Eater's form began to shift slightly as the hole in its back completely closed up, spiky protrusions springing out of its back down where its spine would be if it had a skeleton, its spindly limbs bulking up around the calves and forearms while its tail extended slightly, growing somewhat thicker along with the rest of its body. From within its inky black translucent form, bits and blotches of blue and aqua appeared scattered, albeit only on its main body and primarily centered around its underbelly, a second row of “teeth” growing in as it attempted to make itself look even more intimidating than it already was. Clearly, this thing wasn't particularly keen on giving answers, and reasoning with it would be impossible. All Korra and the others could do now was fight and pray that Unalaq's Spiritbending technique would purify this thing.

“Keep putting pressure on it, we have to try and pin it down!” Korra shouted, announcing her plan to those gathered, the Chi Eater grinning. So they were going to try and pin it down, were they? They'd like to see it try. The 7 other humans nodding along, the second round of their battle began, Ravi looking over at the damage the Chi Eater had caused to the Arena and then over to Lin, an idea suddenly striking him.

“Chief Beifong, you're a pretty strong Earthbender, right?” Ravi asked. Lin almost looked offended by his question. Pretty strong? She was the daughter of The Most Powerful Earthbender in the World – she was a force to be reckoned with. Ravi smirked. “Seems we've got ourselves a nasty little bug here. Think you can help me step on it?” He asked, motioning with his head over to the area of the Arena the Chi Eater had blasted a hole in with its energy attack, Lin immediately catching wise to what he was insinuating, giving Ravi a knowing smirk.

“I like the way you think. Should be doable.” She replied. The two of them were well aware that the Pro Bending Discs would have no effect on this thing and that they'd need something more substantial to pin it down, so they figured they'd just get a little head start on the Arena's impending remodeling, rip out the piece of the stadium it'd already ruined and drop it on the thing – balconies, seats and all. It certainly wouldn't be easy with just the two of them, but if the others could keep the Chi Eater sufficiently distracted and responding to other attacks, then they just might be able to stamp it out, at least long enough for it to get caught up in Korra's Spiritbending while it struggled to reform.

The two nodded, Lin running over to Ravi and grabbing hold of him, catching Korra, Tenzin and the others' attention. Were they planning something? As Lin sent her metal cables into the ceiling across the gap, the Chi Eater stirred, glancing over in their direction as the two of them fanned out, getting to opposite sides of the section of the Arena the unstable spirit had ruined. What were they planning? Though Tenzin and the others had about as much of a clue as the Chi Eater, they weren't about to give it a chance to figure it out, silently agreeing to keep it busy while the two Earthbenders across from them did whatever it was they were about to do, Tenzin and Ryu sending multiple blasts of condensed air at the spirit's sides, only serving to frustrate it as it glared at them, dents forming and then disappearing in its flesh.

“Air... weak...” The Chi Eater retorted as it was shoved slightly off to the side, swatting at Ryu and Tenzin with its arm as they zipped around it, hitting it with Airbending blast after Airbending blast. At the same time, Korra, Mako and Ryuuki began Firebending together in unison, sure to keep the pressure on the Chi Eater while Lin and Ravi focused on moving the large piece of the stadium they'd just dislodged, aiming to levitate it over top the rogue spirit and then let it fall, crushing it like a bug. Korra almost couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the stadium piece across from her begin to move, those two were inhuman. She, Mako and Ryuuki seemed to share the same thought, silently agreeing with one another and resolving to keep the Chi Eater distracted and focused on _their_ bending while Lin and Ravi did their thing.

Combined with Ryu and Tenzin's steady barrage of Airbending blasts from multiple angles as they continued to zoom around it on pockets of air, pelting its flesh like flies with machine guns, the subsequent barrage of fire blasts coming from the three Firebenders assembled in front of it was really starting to put the hurt on the amorphous anomaly, the Chi Eater letting out a screech of pain. They were starting to hurt it. Fire blast after fire blast after fire blast combined with air blasts mixed in along the way continued to pelt its “flesh”, the Chi Eater seeming to withdraw into itself slightly as it suffered under the steady barrage. 

Then they stopped, trading out repeated blasts of fire for steady streams instead, intending to keep it pinned down and coiled into itself as Lin and Ravi's trump card inched ever closer, the two of them visibly straining with all their might to move what they were moving. While the Chi Eater suffered and retreated under their flames, however, Korra couldn't help but be amazed by Ryuuki's, which she'd finally had a chance to see up close amidst all the chaos, its color catching her eye. She'd never seen _that_ before.

“Blue...?” She asked, surprised by not only the sky blue hue of the actor's Firebending flames, but by the explosiveness of each blast he'd fired before and the intense heat that radiated from them. Even from a good 10 feet away with Mako between her and him, the heat Korra could feel off those flames alone was as intense at 10 feet as a normal Firebender's were from 10 inches.

“It's rare, but it happens. They're hotter and more explosive than normal flames, but quickly lose their intensity and return to normal once a bender stops bending them. I've never actually seen a Firebender with blue flames before, but it's said that Lord Zuko's sister, Azula, had the ability.” Mako explained to the Avatar, who shot the mover event's organizer an odd look. It had to have been a rare ability if she'd never seen it before. He seemed humble enough, but with power like this, she had to wonder, just who _was_ this guy?

“The hair and eyes make sense now, eh?” Ryuuki smirked. His hair was clearly dyed, but were his eyes fake, too? Contacts, maybe? She'd heard about them before, but they were still pretty rare, especially colored ones. The perks of having money, perhaps? “We can chat about the fire color spectrum later though, I think we just pissed this thing off!” Ryuuki warned, the Chi Eater finally swatting away the dome of fire that'd been licking its flesh up until now, the three Firebenders bracing themselves for impact as a distorted wall of air – another shock wave – rushed straight for them, colliding with their arms and chests and knocking them off their feet. However, even if they were down, their assault wasn't going to be ending there as Bolin appeared from behind them, ready and willing to pick up the slack.

“On it!” Bolin called, the Chi Eater again being caught off guard by a bender's arrival as he leaped out from behind Korra, Mako and Ryuuki with two Lavabent Pro Bending discs in tow, swinging them down like two rapidly spinning buzz saws aimed for the Chi Eater's currently extended left arm and still writhing tail. Now _that_ caught it by surprise – it certainly didn't expect to run into a Lavabender all the way out here, let alone for that kid in particular to be one. How rare... it really should've paid more attention to his chi. Ravi and Ryuuki also seemed impressed, Ryuuki more than Ravi given that he was still busy moving that large chunk of the arena with Lin that the Chi Eater was too busy to do anything about.

“Bolin's a Lavabender? And you thought blue fire was rare.” Ryuuki remarked as he, Mako and Korra rose back to their feet. “That kid's just full of surprises...” He thought aloud.

Screaming out in pain as one of Bolin's discs lodged itself in its arm and the other lopped its tail clean off, severing it from its base, it arched its body back and quickly lunged forward like it had with Korra earlier on, letting out another scream intent on obliterating Bolin's bones, a shock wave more powerful than any before aimed for the currently still airborne Lavabender's fragile human frame. “WOAH CRAP!” Bolin cursed, closing his eyes and raising his arms in front of him in an X shape, bracing for impact, when a sudden burst of air from his right sent him flying out of the way of the Chi Eater's attack and sliding across the Pro Bending Arena longwise, instead. It was a bit of a rough landing, but it was better than having every single bone in his body instantaneously shattered like glass. “Ugh, thanks Ryu...” He groaned as he stood back up.

“Whatever, don't let up!” The unkempt Airbender replied, understandably pumped up given the circumstances. The Lavabender simply nodded, quickly calling out two more Pro Bending discs and super heating them with his bending sub skill, violently rotating them like buzz saws in the air around him as he prepared for round two. Seemed that his element really piled on the hurt with this thing. _Perfect_. 

“Annoying... bugs...” The Chi Eater spat, beginning to grow frustrated. They were persistent, it'd give them that much. As Bolin came at it from its right and Tenzin began piling Airbending blasts into its left side, leaving quickly healing dents in its malleable flesh, Mako and Ryuuki both bent lightning bolts at it while Korra pulled up another watery drill, this one smaller and more spindly than her Avatar State enhanced ones from before, but damaging nonetheless should it make impact. At the same time, Lin and Ravi now had their weapon of choice levitated directly over the Chi Eater's head, releasing their hold and finally letting it fall. With attacks from all four elements coming at it from every conceivable direction, the group of 8 was hoping to have finally managed to pin the damn thing down. There was no way out of this that it wouldn't be taking damage.

“Weak...” Allowing the Lightning, Water and Lava to impact its body, to the Chi Eater, the more pressing matter by far was the large chunk of granite, metal and concrete about ready to crush it like a bug, an ironic turn of events given its previous taunt. It wouldn't be able to fire off a second energy blast for another minute or so, meaning it had no way to dispose of that just yet; its shock waves wouldn't be enough. Instead, it would just have to move out of the way – which was precisely what Korra was counting on. When the Chi Eater began to blur and attempted to dart to its left, it let out a surprised grunt as it found itself unable, its limbs having been frozen to the ground. 

Korra smirked. 

Her earlier Waterbending attack may not have been successful in the short term, but it proved to be useful in the long term, pooling water in and around the slots located all over the Pro Bending ring which her most recent Waterbending “attack” – which she'd already let fall harmlessly to the ground – only added to. It was something that the Chi Eater hadn't anticipated, something it'd been distracted from by the continuous assault of the 7 benders and the impending collision of the stadium piece the two Earthbenders were moving. It was wondering how they were expecting to keep it still long enough to catch it with that. It had to give the Avatar her due – she was crafty.

The blurring of its form stopped almost as soon as it began, the ice which was still crawling up its limbs formed quick enough to catch it off guard and made _just_ dense enough to prevent it from breaking away on its first try, delaying its ability to react to the 'boot' that was about to crush it by just a couple of seconds. But, that was all that was required. Its only opportunity to move out of the way squandered, the Chi Eater hissed. It knew what was coming next, bracing itself for impact and ready to change its physical properties as necessary. Collision was inevitable. 

As the dislodged section of stadium seats and balcony pieces came crashing down on top of it, the entire island shook, Lin and Ravi panting heavily, drenched in sweat and feeling as though they were about to drop. That was the last time either of them were going to attempt to move something so large with only two people at their disposal, it was honestly a miracle that they managed to do it at all. It wasn't over yet, however, and they knew it. This was a spirit, that wasn't going to kill it, that'd barely even faze it. But at the very least, they hoped it would keep it down long enough for Korra to rip the energy it'd stolen to empower itself out of it and take it down once and for all.

“Everybody stay on guard, that's not going to kill it!” Korra warned, reiterating the continued danger of the scenario to those who were gathered in case they thought they were getting off easy. Running up to get closer to the impact site, Korra Airbent the chalky grey dust out of the way in order to get a better look at the situation. As she thought, the Chi Eater was already starting to reform, an inky black goo with an azure glow beginning to ooze its way through the cracks and spaces in and between the debris. She had no time to lose. Pulling up water from the slots in the ring and the “drink” below, Korra officially began the spiritual purification ritual, a high-pitched, glass-like hum resonating through the air as water swirled around the rubble in a double helix formation. 

A golden yellow glow ran along the streams as their tips met above the Chi Eater's tomb and she shifted into the Avatar State for the second time, requesting Raava's assistance in what she was about to attempt next. Given the nature of the abilities of the enemy she was currently faced with, she had a feeling she was going to need it. But she was determined. No matter what it took, Korra was going to try and save the spirits it had eaten and reverse the Chi Eater's especially severe case of spiritual corruption, however it was that it came about. She could worry about the how and the why later – first things first, she had to make sure that this thing wouldn't and couldn't kill anybody else ever again.

“Gigigigigigigigigi...” The Chi Eater clicked as it slowly began to reform, caught in Korra's technique. It could feel its energy shift slightly in response to her power, just as she in turn could feel what Raava meant by how its energy seemed to be somehow contorted and unstable, the pain in her head making more sense as she finally had the opportunity to calm down and focus in on the spirit's energy. It was like a knot had been formed from the power of the spirits and the humans it had feasted on, one that was making it especially difficult for her Spiritbending to manipulate the positive and negative balance of the core entity responsible for all of this mess, and one she was trying her damn hardest to unravel. It had effectively cocooned itself within the chi and life energies of others, simultaneously shielding its own while also giving it a vast ocean of power to call upon at will.

After some persistence, however, she had done it, latching on to the energy of the Chi Eater itself and trying her hardest to force it into a more docile state, one she could more realistically approach and extract the consumed energy from. While any humans it may have killed would remain dead and gone, Korra believed there was a chance that, freed from their chi eating prison, devoured spirits _might_ be able to resurrect themselves were their energy to be extracted. If that was true, then she might be able to start undoing some of the damage it had done over these past 1200 years and somewhat rectify the oversight of her collective past lives. She might even be able to get some information out of them as to what the Chi Eater was and how it came to be so that she could make sure that nothing like it was ever born again.

...However, it appeared that things weren't going to be so simple. By this point in time, the Chi Eater should have stopped moving completely, either at war with Korra's influence or completely under her control, but it defiantly continued to ooze up from the debris and collect into a mound, ready to rebuild itself, almost as though she was having no effect. This thing was _incredibly_ strong willed and actually seemed to be bending its own energy back to the way it was faster than she could heal it. It was _exactly_ what Korra was afraid of. At this point, she was beginning to wonder if Unalaq's Spiritbending technique alone was going to be enough.

Spiritbending was, _technically speaking_ , a form of Energybending, one performed through Waterbending by those who could use their bending to heal others. It relied on Waterbending's natural healing properties to allow its user to tap into the internal energy of a spirit and manipulate it with their chi, either to heal it and restore its balance by channeling positive energy, like Korra did, or to harm it and send it into imbalance by channeling negative energy, like Unalaq did. Unlike true Energybending, however, which involved the wills and spirits of those involved, Spiritbending was a passive technique which simply promoted the flow positive or negative energy via healing, having little to no force behind it. 

Against most spirits, this would be perfectly fine and they'd have no real counter for it. When used against a spirit that itself knew how to Energybend, however, and by the very nature of its name and reputation could freely add to and manipulate the chi within itself... it was exactly what she was afraid of before she started and exactly why she needed Raava's support. A simple, relatively speaking, healing technique just wasn't going to cut it – Korra was going to have to make use of straight up Energybending, too, and force this thing to change whether it wanted to or not. It could resist a passive influence just fine, but with any luck, an active influence would prove more troublesome. 

While her experiences in dealing with Kuvira and the Spirit Vines had shown her that she could bend energy like she could the elements, normally, when bending the energy of somebody else, she would have no choice but to make physical contact with them and bend their spirit with her own. But this was a special case. Because her opponent was a spirit and had no physical form to speak of, it was easier to hone in on and bend its energy as she pleased. She didn't have to account for flesh and bend energy through pathways to affect a change – the Chi Eater was in and of itself energy, meaning that she could bend it like she could any other energy, thus boosting the effectiveness of her Spiritbending by reinforcing it with manual, brute force manipulation as well, adding her spirit and her will into the equation.

The only problem was that the Chi Eater was a mass of energy with a will of its own and would not yield to her command so easily. Furthermore, it could Energybend, too, and its spirit was undoubtedly _very_ strong, meaning that while it _would_ increase the effectiveness of what she was trying to do, it would also put Korra at tremendous risk. Even if she bent it from afar, hers and Raava's spirits and the spirit of the Chi Eater would be connected the moment she tried to directly influence its energy with her own, opening her up to being corrupted, killed, or worse. It was as risky as it was theoretical and required more focus on her part than anything she'd ever attempted before, as she'd be performing two bending arts simultaneously with her Waterbending as their medium, Spiritbending and Energybending, with the latter being resisted every step of the way by the Chi Eater's own spin on the technique.

If this was coming down to a straight-up Energybending duel, then from what she'd gleamed from her brief time with Avatar Aang's imprint, it ultimately came down to a battle of spirits, and more than that, wills. The one whose spirit was the purest and will the strongest would overtake the other, their energy yielding to the stronger one's command. Clearly, the Chi Eater's spirit was beyond powerful, otherwise it wouldn't have been able to kill all the people that it had these past 1200 years, and under ordinary circumstances, attempting to do what Korra was would probably be tantamount to suicide. However, Korra had one thing that set her apart from anybody else the Chi Eater had dueled and destroyed – she had more than one spirit.

It may have been able to fight back against Korra's spirit alone, but surely hers and Raava's spirits combined would be enough to overpower it, right? Were Korra alone here, she feared what she was attempting to do may be completely impossible, but she wasn't, and while technically the Chi Eater wasn't alone either, from what Korra had gathered, none of the spirits it had eaten were particularly keen on aiding it, assuming they were even intact enough to do anything in the first place. Nevertheless, something about the Chi Eater made her wonder. To her, she somehow got the vibe that its actions seemed almost... desperate. Like it _had_ to do what it was doing, or else something bad would happen to it. And that worried her. Because if it was waging a war of desperation, then there was no telling how powerful its will to live would be, even paired up against her will to save her city and her friends and Raava's will to maintain balance.

“Come on...” Korra groaned in frustration, initiating the arduous process of her dual Energybending technique as the 7 other Benders around her simply looked on in silence, ready to attack again if need be, hoping Korra would be successful and this thing would get a major power reduction. Iit didn't take a spiritual guru to see that she was struggling, however, which didn't exactly put them at ease. This thing was strong, really strong. Relying on Raava to lighten the load, Korra drowned out everyone and everything else, focusing 100% on the spirit in front of her and her attempts to bend its energy, sensing its surprise at her intrusion. Now that she had connected with it, the war was on. Not only was she fighting its attempts to corrupt and consume her energy as it was hers, she was also being imparted with vague glimpses of what it was thinking and feeling and knowledge that it had. 

“Give up already, would you?” Ryuuki called, looking especially frustrated. “Don't make us beat your ass down again!” He begged the still reforming Chi Eater, hoping to avoid another physical fight with the thing. Bolin gulped, looking to be the most worried of the 7 as Korra continued to silently bend the healing water around the dark spirit, beads of sweat rolling down her face. She wasn't going to let up. She couldn't. Pulling up yet more water in hopes of boosting the speed and potency of the passive effects of Spiritbending while she actively continued to engage it via Energybending, Korra and Raava's focus intensified tenfold, the Chi Eater _finally_ beginning to show signs of weakness, its reformation slowing to a crawl as the azure glow began to dim and fade and its dark, black flesh turned yellow. 

Korra grinned. It was working.

“Gigigigigigigigigi...” The Chi Eater continued as it oozed from the cracks slower and slower and slower still until the oozing had stopped completely, what had collected sustained in an impossible state, looking as though time within Korra's technique had come to a standstill as it continued to make that incessant clicking noise, the only sign of resistance anyone there could still make out. Korra's grin grew more confident. She could feel its rage relenting, she could feel its positive energy increasing, she could– “GIHIHIHIHIHIHIHI...” The clicking grew louder and more distinct, more vocalized. Was it... laughing? “GIHIHIHIHAHAHIAIHHHAIHAIHI...” Korra's grin immediately faded. This was impossible... where did all this new strength come from!?

 _“Korra, look out!”_ Raava roared from within Korra's consciousness, grabbing the girl's attention as things took an immediate turn for the worse, her progress fading as the golden glow reversed, black and blue overtaking it as a wave of negative energy exploded from the Chi Eater's previously reassembling form, a dome of what looked to be black electricity stretching out and overtaking Korra's Spiritbending technique, literally shattering it before fading from sight. Doing so canceled not only the passive influence of her Spiritbending but the active influence of her Energybending as well, the medium through which she was performing both destroyed and sparing her spirit from consumption, but at the same time freeing the Chi Eater from any and all hindrances Korra could throw at it.

Not even a few seconds later, while Korra was still reeling from the sudden cancellation of her bending that had also knocked her out of the Avatar State, she screamed, flung backwards across the ring by an invisible force followed shortly thereafter by everyone else. Not only had some part of it actively resisted her technique and bent its own energy back regardless of the Spirit/Energybending combo, it'd just as quickly released _more_ shock waves from oily black tendrils it had erupted from the rubble, skewering the debris and then retreating back below.

“Weak... humans are... Avatar are...” It remarked, Korra rubbing her head and rising back onto her feet. It didn't work. Why didn't it work? She had it, she was SURE she had it, and Raava was too. She could feel the light spirit's lingering confidence deep within her. So why did it fail? It was almost as though a second will, one that was buried deep inside of it, had suddenly bubbled to the surface and intervened to bend the Chi Eater's energy back in its stead, shattering Korra's technique in the process. Was she wrong before? Were all of the spirits inside of that thing not only intact, but malevolent? If that was the case, then why would they reach out to her for help? Was it possible that the core Chi Eater was always two or more spirits to begin with? 

Or maybe... that second spirit that she felt, that second consciousness buried somewhere deep within the Chi Eater's own... she thought before that whatever this thing was, it almost looked sick. Could that actually be the case? Could it be infected with something? Could it be infected with somebody else's energy? Was that even possible? If it was, then it would explain everything. Its unusual, human like behavior, its desire for death and destruction, its overall instability... had somebody taken this spirit and somehow injected their own energy into it to drive it mad and control it 1200 years ago? Was that why it was acting the way it was? But then who would do that, and why? Energybending was supposed to have been an extinct art even a thousand years ago, who would have even had that kind of power?

Though the answers may have escaped her, one thing _had_ become exceedingly clear. If things kept up like this, she wouldn't be able to save it. She would have no other choice but to kill this spirit and any other spirits that may have been trapped inside of it. As she became steady on her feet once more, Korra narrowed her eyes. The Chi Eater appeared to be attempting to monologue. That was never a good sign.

“Clever... they try... fail...” It continued, a dark puddle suddenly appearing beneath Korra's feet, her eyes immediately widening as she felt a disgustingly evil presence begin surrounding her. When did it...!? “And... die...” Before she could move away, the puddle sprang up around her, trapping her in a dome of darkness that quickly began to fill with light, a terrified look screaming across her face as countless azure eyes opened up along the inky black dome's surface, glowing and gathering energy just like the Chi Eater had when it fired that laser the first time. It suddenly hit her what it was about to do. It was going to attack Korra from all sides and completely annihilate her.

She knew that ordinary bending wasn't going to get her out of here. They'd been hammering away at this thing's “flesh” since it appeared to no effect and she could feel her friends already trying to penetrate it from the outside with attacks of their own, but the spirit was just way too durable and it was channeling its energy way too quickly. There was only one other thing she could think to do, one other way she might be able to get herself out of this and – if she was lucky – take the Chi Eater out in the process. She just hoped it'd work a second time. “Raava, help me...” She whispered, feeling the light spirit stir inside her once again.

“Goodbye.” 

Everything went deafeningly silent for Korra as the next instant seemed to drag out for an eternity, the countless eyes opened up around her releasing beams of energy from every direction, beams which had slowed to a crawl as Korra's eyes flashed white. She had jumped back back into the Avatar State for a third time in hopes that she would be able to repeat the miracle from the end of her battle with Kuvira and bend this energy around her an instant before it killed her. When the lasers should've continued going straight, instead, they turned and they swirled, a bright blue sphere of violently rotating spiritual energy forming around Korra and growing exponentially in size as the continuous beams fed into it, filling in the gap between Korra and the Chi Eater's shapeshifted “flesh”. It was something the Chi Eater wasn't prepared for – not even in the slightest. 

“Energy... bender... too strong... not know...” From outside the Chi Eater's trap, the glowing black dome that had ensnared Korra seemed to swell larger and larger as the energy it was trying to obliterate Korra with built more and more, a chain reaction having begun that the dark spirit in question was incapable of putting an end to. The 5 benders remaining in the Pro Bending Arena outside quickly turned and ran away, fearing it was about to explode, the Chi Eater beginning to fear the same. This wasn't good. It was lucky that pieces of it remained buried beneath that rubble, pieces which it was now preparing to have pierce the surface and run away from here before this battle dragged out any longer. It had miscalculated and underestimated what the Avatar was truly capable of.

“ENOUGH!” Korra screamed, finally forcing the energy that she'd collected around her back out and into the Chi Eater itself, ripping the dome it had created from its flesh to pieces in an explosion of spiritual energy like nobody had seen since Kuvira's attack 2 months prior. The Chi Eater screamed in agony as it was blasted apart from the inside out by one of its own attacks, nothing of what had collected around Korra remaining as the energy vaporized all of its traces and then gradually dissipated into the air, Korra – with Raava's assistance – diffusing it like a Firebender would their flames as to avoid causing too much damage to the surrounding area until it looked as though a thousand bright blue fireflies had invaded the Arena's battlefield. 

The last thing Korra wanted was to catch her friends in the attack, or to end up opening yet _another_ Spirit Portal in the middle of Republic City. Neither of those potentialities seemed particularly desirable from her perspective. The diffused energy that once belonged to the Chi Eater then drifted silently down like snowflakes, fading away before they ever reached the ground. Korra inhaled and then exhaled deeply, closing and then opening her eyes, exiting the Avatar State and falling to her hands and knees almost immediately afterward. That one definitely took a lot out of her.

“...Is it over?” Bolin asked, peering out from behind a large slab of stone he had bent out of the pile that'd entombed the Chi Eater, having erected it in front of Mako, Tenzin, Ryu, Ryuuki and himself in hopes it might protect them from the previously imminent explosion. The threat effectively neutralized, the five of them emerged from hiding while Lin and Ravi came out from behind the pillars they'd taken shelter behind. Bolin was impressed – Korra was getting better and better with this whole Energybending thing. Last time she tried to bend an attack like that, she punched a hole through the fabric of reality and opened up another Spirit Portal. 

Then again, even with all of the spirits and the people it had eaten, maybe the Chi Eater just wasn't as powerful as the entirety of Republic City's Spirit Wilds and it never would've had the power to do that in the first place. Either way though, she'd taken control of the explosion and saved everybody's lives. That was reason enough to be proud and celebrate. While he awaited Korra's answer (who was currently trying to figure out for herself whether or not she'd won), Mako seemed concerned. She looked exhausted.

“...Yeah. I think it's o–” Before Korra could finish her reassurance, a familiar spiritual presence caught her attention, the debris in front of her exploding apart, a black blur streaking through the Arena and heading out through the hole it had created (and Lin and Ravi had expanded) earlier on. It was still alive!? “Shit! Don't let it escape!” Korra shouted, rising back onto her feet to chase after it only to stumble and fall almost immediately after, Mako catching her from under her right arm before she could hit the ground. She looked up at the Firebending detective, relieved but confused. When did he get over here?

“Like I said, I've got your back.” He affirmed. Korra smiled. “Are you alright?” He asked. A loaded question. He knew full well that she wasn't and that she was stubbornly going to deny that, but somebody had to ask it. While Lin, Ravi, Ryu, Tenzin and Ryuuki ran off to chase the Chi Eater outside and keep it busy until Korra inevitably arrived, Mako refused to leave the girl's side, helping to keep her standing while she dealt with a bout of lightheaded exhaustion. Bolin also stayed behind, looking to be even more visibly concerned than his brother was, cautiously approaching the two of them in an attempt to check up on his and his brother's mutual friend.

“Yeah, sorry, I'm just a little dizzy is all.” Korra explained away sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. A blatant (half) lie, and everybody there knew it. She really was dizzy, but it was more than that. Shifting into the Avatar state 3 times in less than 10 minutes and bending on such a high level would exhaust just about anybody. But all three of them knew that there was no other choice but to press onward – the Chi Eater could be neither saved nor destroyed without the Avatar. “Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. We're not going to get a chance like this again. Stopping the Chi Eater is our top priority.” Korra continued with confidence. Bolin and Mako shared a look.

“Are you sure? You kind of just exploded a spirit. Or, part of one, anyway. I dunno, that seems like it would take a lot out of someone.” Bolin replied. The least she could do was take a minute to catch her breath. But Korra shook her head. There was no time to sit around – the Chi Eater was hurt and scared and was going to bolt unless somebody got in its way. Those 5 weren't going to be enough. They did seem to be slowing it down regardless though, as she could still sense its sickening presence nearby and she could hear the sounds of bending coming from outside. She had to get out there before it was too late.

“I said I'm fine.” She stubbornly reiterated. She didn't care if she had to push past every physical limitation her body may have had, she wasn't going to let this thing get away from here. There was too much on the line. Still, to think that it'd kept a part of itself hidden away beneath that rubble, just in case something went wrong... it was as crafty as she'd come to expect, still somehow managing to hit her with the unexpected. She should've known straight away that a single redirected attack wouldn't be enough to kill it, it'd proven itself to be much too cautious and forward thinking in the past to battle another Energybender without expecting some sort of resistance. Still, its surprise when she suspended its attack appeared to be genuine. It'd underestimated her. She got the feeling she wouldn't be so lucky again. 

The dizziness subsiding, Korra removed her arm from around her ex-boyfriend's shoulder, now capable of standing on her own two feet again without assistance. All this going in and out of the Avatar State was going to kill her, but she figured she had a few rounds left in her tank, looking from the brothers over to the hole out of which the Chi Eater had escaped.

“Let's go. It's time to finish this.” She said, more determined now than ever. By her estimation, there were two ways the second round of the Chi Eater battle could go. The first would be the merciful route, wherein she had managed to deal a devastating blow by wiping out a good portion of its form and whatever remained of it was thus weaker as a result. The second would be the more likely route, wherein it reacted like a wounded beast and was now even more powerful and dangerous than before, terrified for its life. But it wasn't the only wounded beast around here. This thing was going to be in for the fight of its life. Mako and Bolin nodded. They knew they had no choice but to finish this. Korra had said it herself, they'd never get another chance like this again – not for another 25 years.

While Korra and Mako may have been able to propel themselves across the gap between the Pro Bending Ring and the rest of the Arena, the lack of any manipulable stone or earthy materials beneath his feet combined with the fact that the Ring was situated _lower_ than the rest of the Arena meant Bolin would require some assistance, Korra grabbing hold of the Lavabender and taking him with her as she leapt the distance with her Airbending alone, Mako propelling himself across the gap with his Firebending. Flight was not a Firebending technique he was terribly proficient in – Ryuuki _far_ outclassed him from what Bolin had seen – but he could manage a few well-timed fire blasts with force enough to carry him over. 

Outside of the Arena walls, the battle had expanded far beyond Korra's imagination. As she'd feared, the second route was the more likely scenario and what was currently taking place, the Chi Eater having increased its size even further and generated more “mass” by converting its unfathomably vast amounts of internal chi and spiritual energy into “matter”, or something close enough to it that it could retain that semi-physical gelatinous form most spirits she'd encountered in the physical world seemed to have. What's more, the 5 within the Arena were no longer the only ones fighting, the rest of the Beifong family having now joined in along with Opal, Kai and the Airbending Kids, having gotten the crowd once in the makeshift theater onto the mainland and taken a stand to prevent the Chi Eater from getting back into the city and anywhere near them.

It was now 14 on 1, and with Korra and the brothers' arrival, that number would jump to 17, but the Chi Eater continued to fight them as it had from the start, either absorbing or weaving through attacks with its otherworldly speed and malleable form, countering every trick thrown at it. From the countless Earth and Metal attacks of Ravi and the Beifongs to the barrage of Airbending blasts from Opal, Tenzin and the others, every piece of its body they tore away with their attacks it just as soon replaced, now opting to use its shape shifting properties to a greater extent and turning its body into the weapon. It rapidly fired pieces of its flesh it hardened like bullets which were blocked by Earth, Metal and Airbending barriers (simply dodged by Ryuuki) and stretched portions of itself out as long spikes in attempts to impale those who stood against it, which prompted yet more evasive maneuvers from the benders.

Nevertheless, watching everybody attack it was not unlike watching a swarm of flies encircling the face of a badgermole – they certainly had it surrounded, but they were more of a persistent nuisance than a legitimate threat. Even Ryuuki's bright blue Firebending was of little help, though it certainly seemed to be leaving more of a consistent impact than the Air and Earth attacks were due to its innate explosive power. Korra, Mako and Bolin wasted no time, running as fast as they could into the fray as the most recent series of attacks poked quickly healing holes in the Chi Eater's 15-foot-tall body.

Mako was the first to attack, immediately sending the two largest waves of fire he could manage at the spirit's head, the black beast snarling and simply spitting in his direction, a sizable bullet of distorted air rocketing toward him. As the streams of orange flame were pierced and dissipated, he knew what was coming, breaking to the right as ground where he was once standing shattered from the Chi Eater's attack, relentlessly continuing to attack it with yet more volleys of fire as he dodged to disappointingly similar results as everybody else. “Hungry...” The Chi Eater complained, its recent release of two energy based attacks in rapid succession followed by the destruction of a large part of its “body” requiring it to manually recreate itself leaving it more drained than it would've liked. So long as it had so many snacks lining up to feed it, it may as well indulge itself, starting with the particularly persistent detective attacking it now.

Again its body blurred as it barreled through the benders assembled around it like an oncoming train, sending Bolin and Korra flying backwards before they could even register that it'd moved, on top of Mako in the time it took him to blink. “You...” It chose, making it known to the detective that he was going to be the Chi Eater's next meal, Bolin springing back to his feet with unusual gusto at the potential of his brother being the next to die at this thing's hand. As it pinned Mako onto the ground with its left hand, it again unhinged its jaw, the same blue glow as before emanating from its throat, but this time extending outward like a tentacle, its tip vaguely hand shaped in nature, grabbing hold of Mako's face with disturbingly comforting warmth. Almost as soon as it'd touched him, he could feel his consciousness beginning to fade and his body grow weak. This thing acted _fast_.

“NOT _MY_ BROTHER YOU SON OF A BITCH!” Bolin yelled, calling upon all his strength to bend the ground beneath the Chi Eater's feet into a pool of Lava – one of the few things that actually seemed to have any sort of a major effect on the abomination – the sudden rush of heat and pain causing it to cease eating Mako's chi and start screaming out in agony instead, the arm of energy retreating back into the Chi Eater before it could even really get started. That settled it – the Lavabender had to go. In a clap of thunder it was already at Bolin's present location. Smashing him high into the air with an uppercut from its right elbow, it just as quickly appeared in the air to meet him once he'd reached his zenith, viciously spiking him into the ocean with its hands clasped together as to inflict maximum damage, almost assuredly breaking more than a few bones in the process.

“BOLIN!” Korra cried out, moving to go and see if he was okay before the Chi Eater was back in front of _her_ again, as well, clearly pissed off. As it raised its hand to strike her down, too, it found its arm unable to swing in her direction, two metal cables having lodged themselves deep into its flesh. Lin had intervened, digging her feet into the granite bridge that connected the man made island which housed the Pro Bending Arena to the mainland for extra leverage as she struggled to match this thing's strength, Su backing her elder sister up as she lodged cables of her own (a spool of the stuff affixed to her back) into its other arm and mimicking Lin's position, digging in her heels and holding it back with all her strength. 

Meanwhile, Wei and Wing came to Bolin and Mako's aide, Wing grabbing Mako while Wei dove into the water and retrieved Bolin, the twins taking the second set of brothers ashore with them onto the mainland and out of harm's way while Huan stepped in to help his aunt and mother out, manipulating the ground beneath the Chi Eater's feet to briefly keep it from moving like Korra had with ice before, creating a momentary opening wherein their interference had caught the bastard off guard. But a moment was all that Korra needed, an Airbending attack more powerful than anything that'd struck it before ripping into its core as it screamed out in pain yet again, flung backwards by the force of one of the single strongest attacks Korra could manage. She wasn't going to let up now – none of them were. 

It faced no mercy as it skid across the ground, ground which again was turned against it as its hands and feet were encased a second time – this time by Ravi – while Ryuuki and the Airbenders pelted it with attacks in an attempt to do as much damage to its form as possible in order to prolong its recovery time. Ryuuki Lightningbent directly at its head while Tenzin, Ryu, Opal and the kids maintained strong, focused streams of air from all directions, blasting sizable chunks of it away as it was forced into the ground, the earthen shackles around its hands and feet simply adding insult to injury as it was essentially sandblasted to nothing. 

“Trap it, now!” Korra demanded as she ran to catch up with the briefly beaten Chi Eater, its pop marked body once again beginning to reassemble itself as Ravi released its earthen bindings so that the Airbenders could get to work, Ravi and Ryuuki both stepping back as a powerful vortex of air began to circulate around the Chi Eater, lifting it off the ground. The 7 Airbenders were going to replicate together what Wan and Korra had done single handedly with Vaatu in the past, trapping the Chi Eater in a spherical prison of air within which it would be unable to move or break free – doubly so due to its briefly weakened state – while further restricting its movements by closing in around it, compressing it as far as its body was able to be curled up.

It snarled, trying but failing to break free of its spherical prison the 7 Airbenders had caught it in, recognizing the position it was in. It would be another 45 seconds _at least_ before it would be able to break free of this technique, rendering it, for the time being, completely defenseless. If the Avatar was going to kill it, now would be the time. Again, Korra's eyes began to glow, Raava's power overflowing as the Avatar relied upon her heightened state for a fourth time tonight, the blatancy of her spiritual presence catching the Chi Eater's attention. Korra knew she shouldn't even bother trying to save it anymore, she should just kill it now while she had the chance, but she couldn't. Not yet. 

She still felt like she could free it of whatever had corrupted it. She still felt like it was possible to save it. Whatever that second presence she felt was, whatever had latched onto and corrupted this spirit, it wasn't going to catch her off guard a second time. Now that she had a better idea of what she was up against and what to expect once she began Unalaq's ritual, she couldn't sentence this thing to death without giving it one more go. For all she knew, this spirit was just a puppet to whoever or whatever had corrupted it all those centuries ago and was completely innocent of the crimes that had been committed with its body. She wasn't going to take it out unless she genuinely had no other choice, especially not with the added potential of previously eaten spirits being salvageable.

Collecting water from the bay and bending it around the Airbenders' cage, the same humming double helix from before brightly glowed as she once again bent the Chi Eater's energy in a last ditch attempt to save it before she delivered the final blow, a move that left those gathered confused. Lin seemed especially upset, gritting her teeth. The Airbenders had just delivered this thing to her on a silver platter. Why the hell wasn't she taking the shot?

“What are you doing!? We already tried this, it won't work!” Lin shouted, clearly frustrated. Korra grimaced, trying to maintain focus. She could do this.

“I can do this, I can save it!” Korra shouted back, re-beginning the process of bending the balance of positive and negative energies within the Chi Eater in hopes of drawing out that presence from before. Last time, she had the Chi Eater on the ropes and who or whatever that was came to its rescue. If she could just get it back to that point, then maybe... as she had before, Korra upped the ante, Spiritbending and Energybending simultaneously, allowing the Spiritbending to passively chip away at the Chi Eater's endurance by constantly promoting the flow of positive energy in the background while she actively dug in and attempted to rearrange its internal energies as she pleased, trying to force it back into balance, into peace. She could do this. She had to be able to do this.

“Avatar... Raava... fools...” It taunted, fully aware of what the techniques – and by extension, Korra – were capable of. It had by this point fully adjusted to the influence of Korra's Spirit/Energybending combo attack, defiantly resisting her once again as the war of wills between the two entered into an uneasy stalemate, the Chi Eater stubbornly resisting change while Korra stubbornly resisted surrender, the war of two wills becoming a war of four as Korra, Raava and the Chi Eater's dual spirits struggled for dominance. There it was.

“Gihihihihihi...” It laughed. This was the part where it won their last battle of wills. Korra's attempts were chipping away at the surface personality, but whatever was buried in its core had again made its presence known, this time much more readily. After all, the Avatar knew it existed now – what further use was there in hiding? Korra could feel her grip fading, but she refused to give up. She pulled up yet more water from the bay, hoping that more water would equal more power, but it didn't seem to make much of a difference. If it couldn't beat her, it would outlast her. She'd have to stop bending eventually and its body was still healing throughout the entirety of this last-ditch attempt at salvation. Whether it could dominate Korra and Raava's wills or not didn't matter anymore. It just had to last another 30 seconds and it'd break free, tear the Avatar limb-from-limb and be done with this annoyingly drawn-out battle.

“What are you waiting for!? Kill it, now!” Ryuuki shouted over the loud rushing of air. 30 seconds. Much to Korra's surprise, the Chi Eater began to stir from within its windy entrapment, and it was beginning to try and break free of the Airbending vortex. That it had strength enough to do so wasn't what surprised her, however, but rather the fact that it was able to move at all while it was still fighting off her Spirit/Energybending technique. Even with two separate spirits at work – that of the corrupted and what she assumed to be the embedded will of the corrupter – with both of them preoccupied with undoing any changes her bending made, it should not have been able to keep on fighting. Things were quickly beginning to spin out of her control, not that they were ever in her control to begin with. Her crafty, ancient foe continued to laugh while Lin's and Ryuuki's faces grew more dire. Korra growled.

“I can do this!” She stubbornly reiterated, the glowing of her Spiritbending water growing even brighter. But could she really? With how things were going, even she was beginning to have her doubts. 20 seconds. When it happened, she recognized the feeling immediately. The feeling as though words were being etched into the back of her mind, as though thoughts were being implanted into her head that weren't her own. Not for the purposes of influencing or controlling her, or even to convey a message, not this time – this time, it felt unintentional. There was no theatrics or isolation, there was no intentional contacting of her spirit as to beg her for help, there was just the sensation of a train of thought that wasn't her own worming its way into her consciousness. Something basic, primal – something she felt drove the Chi Eater or whatever had corrupted it and something it didn't want her to hear. But with their spirits essentially at war with one another with that water as a medium, certain things were bound to be transferred, intentionally or not.

̤̩̩̮̅̅͆̽̓ͥ͂͢i̙ ̮̜̉ͦw̮̦̟͓̎̈́ĩ͕͚́l̸̝ͤ̃ͣ̃̚ḷ̢̘̟ͫ͐̀̂ ̪n̴̥̫̉̏ͅo͖̬͉͒͂̉͑̅͊ͯt̜͉͖͓͇̼̔ͪ̃ͥͮ̒͝ ͖̭̣d͔͍ͩͧ̎͆̓͒͡i͎͎̯͈̝̞̞ͮeͫͯ͊̋  
̩͇̔ͧ̃ͮͩ͒͂ͅḭ͈ ͎̘̞̺̫ͤ̀w͉̩̼̰̑͒ͧ͗́ͪḯ̼͋ͭ̀͜l̙̝͂̓̓ͣͪ̊̆ḷ̡͖̈ͣ̔́̈ ̪̮̟̱͌ň͒ͦ͏ǒ̞͉̼̃̂ͦ̀ṱ̦͟ ̩͖̳̜͍̳͒͑̾̈́̿̒dͯ̔͞i̦͇̪̙͕̓̎̍ͭͤ͑ͧe̡̹̞͓̮̞̼͎̐̔͗̀  
͔̰̹̳̞͂̂ͬ̄ͣͫ̓i͊ ̻ͤw͇̯̭̖̫͍ͨ͛̍͟ͅi̞̎̃̊͌͂l̼͐͋͗̃̄ͨͅl̘̤̾̄͒̚ ͇̞̝͐ͧ̉ͮͭn̸̤̩̱̱͑ͩͣ̂̆͗ͬo̔͂t̳̝̑͗ͮ͢ ̟̮̰̽̂̈́̂͢ͅd̴̿ͩ̅i̤̠̠̦̭̣̎ͫe̴̟̫̟̭̠̿̈̿̅͛̑̒  
̥́͐i̶̱̟͈̹̪̅̃ ̫͔͙̪̍̀w͓̰̯̘̪̦̣ͬ̆ͨ͊̋ͯi̢̿̂̂̇̒l̩̩̪͇͔͉l̻̲͙̙̰̳ͪ̍̿ ̳̜̙̗̞̩̱ͣͤͧ̓͐̀n̡̳͖̲͚̜̳̞ͧ̐̋̂̽̃ͮo̻̝̺͍̲ͪͤͬͫ͂t̻̮̦̭̹̗͕͛̑ ̺̟͚ͬͦͥ̉ͦ̒d͈̜͐̆̌ͩ́̄̚͘ị̼̤͔ͤ̒̄e̦̱͇̬̖ͪͮ 

She could hear it and yet she couldn't hear it, the message repeated... no, chanted, in the periphery of her awareness, recited like a mantra. “I will not die”. Over and over and over again she heard it. “I will not die”. It had a voice and yet it didn't. It was distorted, distant. It was as though she was recalling a memory she'd long forgotten and trying to hone in on details that had degraded over time. 15 seconds. The Chi Eater's power was steadily increasing and she could feel this as she heard something she couldn't hear and struggled to maintain a stalemate in an Energybending battle she could not afford to lose. This creature's abilities meant that she wasn't safe when she performed this technique. When she affected its energy through the water with her own, it created a portal through which it could attack her spirit and her energy directly. She had to remain ever-vigilant. More important than dominating this thing was simply making sure it – or whatever it was deep inside of it – didn't reach in and corrupt her, too.

“KORRA!” Tenzin called out. 10 seconds. Almost all of the holes in its body had disappeared and the writhing black beast was beginning to make some serious headway against the spiraling currents. It was now or never – attack and kill this thing or it _will_ break free. But she could feel it. The Chi Eater was struggling just as much as she was. Both of them were on the verge of breaking but Korra was convinced that it would be the one to cave first. 

“I CAN DO THIS!” She screamed back. She was so close she could feel it, just as the Chi Eater could feel the same from the Avatar. She was exhausted, pouring everything she had into changing its nature while it put everything it had into maintaining its current state of mind, a state of mind easily directed and controlled by whatever had infected its soul and turned the presumably once docile spirit into the inky black beast known only as the Chi Eater. Was it a human, seeking power and immortality by taking command over a spirit? Given the mantra of what she was now convinced to be the central entity, she was beginning to side with that theory. Spirits didn't want to die, no, but only a human felt fear like this, fear whose echoes she was beginning to feel in the back of her mind like a distant memory, just like the voice attached.

̤̩̩̮̅̅͆̽̓ͥ͂͢i̙ ̮̜̉ͦw̮̦̟͓̎̈́ĩ͕͚́l̸̝ͤ̃ͣ̃̚ḷ̢̘̟ͫ͐̀̂ ̪n̴̥̫̉̏ͅo͖̬͉͒͂̉͑̅͊ͯt̜͉͖͓͇̼̔ͪ̃ͥͮ̒͝ ͖̭̣d͔͍ͩͧ̎͆̓͒͡i͎͎̯͈̝̞̞ͮeͫͯ͊̋  
̩͇̔ͧ̃ͮͩ͒͂ͅḭ͈ ͎̘̞̺̫ͤ̀w͉̩̼̰̑͒ͧ͗́ͪḯ̼͋ͭ̀͜l̙̝͂̓̓ͣͪ̊̆ḷ̡͖̈ͣ̔́̈ ̪̮̟̱͌ň͒ͦ͏ǒ̞͉̼̃̂ͦ̀ṱ̦͟ ̩͖̳̜͍̳͒͑̾̈́̿̒dͯ̔͞i̦͇̪̙͕̓̎̍ͭͤ͑ͧe̡̹̞͓̮̞̼͎̐̔͗̀  
͔̰̹̳̞͂̂ͬ̄ͣͫ̓i͊ ̻ͤw͇̯̭̖̫͍ͨ͛̍͟ͅi̞̎̃̊͌͂l̼͐͋͗̃̄ͨͅl̘̤̾̄͒̚ ͇̞̝͐ͧ̉ͮͭn̸̤̩̱̱͑ͩͣ̂̆͗ͬo̔͂t̳̝̑͗ͮ͢ ̟̮̰̽̂̈́̂͢ͅd̴̿ͩ̅i̤̠̠̦̭̣̎ͫe̴̟̫̟̭̠̿̈̿̅͛̑̒  
̥́͐i̶̱̟͈̹̪̅̃ ̫͔͙̪̍̀w͓̰̯̘̪̦̣ͬ̆ͨ͊̋ͯi̢̿̂̂̇̒l̩̩̪͇͔͉l̻̲͙̙̰̳ͪ̍̿ ̳̜̙̗̞̩̱ͣͤͧ̓͐̀n̡̳͖̲͚̜̳̞ͧ̐̋̂̽̃ͮo̻̝̺͍̲ͪͤͬͫ͂t̻̮̦̭̹̗͕͛̑ ̺̟͚ͬͦͥ̉ͦ̒d͈̜͐̆̌ͩ́̄̚͘ị̼̤͔ͤ̒̄e̦̱͇̬̖ͪͮ 

The droning of its chant accentuated the Chi Eater's defiance. 5 seconds. Korra would not yield but the spirit would not bend, an unstoppable force having been met with an immovable object resulting in a stalemate which had wasted what may have been her only opportunity to end this thing in what was at first a fruitless attempt to purge it pure and save it, but quickly devolved into her being forced into keeping up the battle at risk of it corrupting her if she let up for even an instant. In actuality, it had wanted Korra to try and bend it again from the very beginning. It wanted her to waste her time. It wanted her to squander her only chance at stopping it by trying to be all just and compassionate. It was something it felt in abundance from her the first time their spirits clashed, back in the Arena. Just as she picked up on its fear now, it picked up on her traits then, and it used them against her to ensure its own survival.

Its body was healed. Its energy was restored. The Airbenders could no longer maintain the prison they'd created. With a 'toothy' grin, the Chi Eater ceased fighting right as Korra's endurance wore down to 0, the Spiritbending water collapsing into a puddle on the ground as she fell out of the Avatar state and onto her hands and knees.

i̱̯͇̙͚͕̒̄ͫͤ̂ͩ̑ͅ ̝̫̉͌͌ͩͭ̇ẅ͈́̈̌̀ͤͫ͘i̠̺͒͂͊̕ͅn̷̰̤͖͍̽̀̋̀ͧ̒ 

“I lost...” She realized now she'd fallen right into its trap and done what it expected of her. This battle was as good as over – they weren't going to get a chance to pin it down like that again. Its laughter reaching a crescendo, the Chi Eater unleashed now a mighty roar, dispelling the Airbending technique which ensnared it and knocking the 7 Airbenders off their feet, landing on the ground with a low thud. Korra was exhausted, but it seemed no less energetic than it was when the night began. The power at its disposal was damn near infinite. It could do this all night, and should the humans persist, likely would. Ravi, Ryuuki and the Beifongs immediately launched attacks, but it was as useless now as it was before. This time, it made no effort to move. The humans were running out of energy, but that was something the Chi Eater had in abundance.

It could eat any one of them, but given all the trouble that she had given it, the only one there it was intent on eating tonight was the Avatar herself. It wondered, would it be able to draw out Raava and eat her, too? It could always use another sizable boost in power... why not eat a primordial spirit of light? It was beginning to drool just thinking about it, bending attacks pelting its flesh to as little effect as they had all night. This time, the Chi Eater didn't even try to play with them, swatting the air and generating a shock wave which knocked them all down as it blurred to Korra's location, pinning her to the ground so that she was stuck staring at it face to face as it opened up its mouth to swallow her remaining chi, and her soul. 

“Now... die...” An azure light. A hand of energy. A sudden flash of heat. A scream.

Before the Chi Eater could claim Korra as its next victim, an unexpected interloper made their presence known, a dark, hulking silhouette visible behind a stream of fire like Korra had only seen from a mecha suit – which, as it happened, was precisely what was generating it. Again, the spirit's dinner had been interrupted, but this time, it wasn't by a bender. Quite the opposite. This time, a normal human dared stand against it. 

“Don't you dare touch her!” Korra's eyes widened. Was that... Asami's voice? A dull metallic thud resounded as the mecha suit's fist collided with the Chi Eater's form with force enough to knock it off of Korra and several feet behind her, the Avatar in its grip flung several feet in the opposite direction and skidding across the ground, bruised and fractured, but alive. As the tired and wounded Avatar struggled back onto her feet with the rest of the benders, the CEO in the mecha suit jumped away from her and the group gathering around her and right back at the inky black spirit, another punch driving it into the ground and creating a hole in its malleable chest, which quickly closed around Asami's suit's arm.

However, she was not unprepared, a sudden surge of electricity drawing out an agonizing scream as wires tore into the flesh that grew around her and paralyzed the creature with jolts of energy it had not anticipated. Breaking free her suit's right hand, the wires lodged inside of it remained attached and stretched out as she delivered another blow to the creature's face with her left, keeping it paralyzed with electricity all the while, knocking it back onto the ground where she unleashed two more sustained streams of fire from the flamethrowers mounted to the mecha suit's wrists before it could get the chance to recover.

“Asami...?” Korra wondered aloud, clutching her right arm and watching the scene unfold before her in wonder. What was _she_ doing here? She was supposed to have helped Lin and Mako get the attendees off of the island and then stay with Varrick and Raiko, where it was safe. And where the hell did she get that mecha suit? Korra wasn't about to wait around and see how this turned out, she was going to get back in there and help her girlfriend out before she got herself killed. As she stepped forward however, yet again, she nearly fell over in exhaustion, and yet again, she had to be caught before she hit the ground – this time by Tenzin, who shook his head, advising her not to go.

“Let her do this.” He said. Korra scowled. Excuse her? “None of us are in any condition to fight anymore, least of all you. She's giving us an opening. Get ready to use it.” The Airbending Master explained. Korra's expression softened somewhat. He wasn't wrong – everybody still around was exhausted and hurt in one way or another. They were all standing there just watching, panting, and Mako and Bolin had been taken out of the battle completely, taken back to the mainland in order to receive medical treatment. Even Korra was feeling the strain after so many failed attempts at Energybending and uses of the Avatar State. She could probably manage one more shift before she just completely collapsed, and to be honest she already felt like she was going to drop. The fact of the matter was that if she jumped in now, she'd just be getting in Asami's way and putting her in even _more_ danger.

Still, she hated this. She'd wanted to avoid this. She'd tried to convince Asami to stay behind precisely because of this. She was in over her head, but then, so was Korra and everybody else. And truthfully, if it wasn't for Asami's interference, Korra would probably be dead right now. She didn't want to leave her alone, but right now, Tenzin was right – nobody there was in any condition to take part in a drawn out battle like this anymore, and right now, she had the Chi Eater on the ropes. She was weakening it and giving them another opening, and knowing Asami, she probably had some sort of a contingency plan in case things went south, too. As scared as she was for her safety, Korra would just have to trust that her fiancee knew what she was doing right now.

Asami's flamethrowers were relentless, keeping the Chi Eater pinned to the ground in propulsive streams of fire each about as strong as a single jet of Ryuuki's signature blue flames, causing steady damage and chipping and burning away at its body like the Airbenders had been doing before her. The black beast roared, beside itself as to how it could be given so much trouble from mere humans. So far as it was concerned, it was one of the most powerful beings in either world, and yet, somehow, it'd been so badly damaged and forced into a corner yet _again_ , this time by a lowly non-bender and her machine, a fact which only served to piss it off further. 

Though it was now missing one of its arms, had had a hole punched through its chest, and a sizable dent had put into its clay-like face, the Chi Eater was no less vicious or unable to defend itself, finally dispelling the flames with a shock wave generated from the arm that was still attached, intending to knock Asami and her mecha suit down in the process. Shockingly, however, she had weathered the attack completely unscathed, firing the rods attached to the mecha suit's legs deep into the cratered the ground below, standing firm against the wave of force and reaching out to meet the Chi Eater with another punch as it brazenly rushed in towards her. By this point, however, it had had enough, becoming temporarily incorporeal and fazing inside of the machine to rip it apart from the inside out. 

“What!?” Asami panicked as the instruments within the suit began to malfunction, lights flashing on and off as the Chi Eater wreaked havoc with its internal workings. Right, she'd almost forgotten spirits could do that. Thankfully, the escape hatch wasn't electronic. Immediately opening the top of the suit before she lost complete control, as she hopped out of it from above and ran to the safety of the 13 benders, the Chi Eater walked leisurely out of it from behind. She hadn't been able to completely immobilize it, but she'd done enough – it was healing again, but slowly, slow enough that, just like before, it wouldn't be able to react at full capacity again until that hole had closed and that arm regrew. But as soon as it stepped out of that mecha suit and became corporeal, it was met with an unexpectedly vicious barrage from the Earthbenders and the now lone Firebender it had been fighting before.

“We'll finish chipping away at it, you go make sure Korra's okay!” Ravi shouted to his old friend, the dark-haired girl nodding and running away from the Chi Eater and the benders to meet up with her bruised and confused fiancee. They may not have had the energy to engage it in a full-fledged battle anymore, but that wasn't to say that they couldn't kick it while it was down and finish what Asami had started. She gave them an opening and now they were going to take it and whittle it down to a point where the Airbenders could ensnare it once more. Forming a line across the granite bridge which would separate the Chi Eater from Korra, Asami and the Airbenders, Ravi, Su, Lin, Huan and Ryuuki had built a veritable wall of bending which was now pushing the Chi Eater back with a series of ferocious attacks it was impressed they were still capable of dishing out. And here _it_ thought it was the one with inexhaustible energy, what the hell _were_ these people?

“Persistent... bugs...!” It cried out as its form was pop marked for the umpteenth time tonight, growing increasingly more enraged at the persistence of its enemies. It raised its remaining arm to swat them all away, but Su caught it with a metal cable and yanked it back down before it could bend the air around it while Lin used her wires like a grappling hook, propelling herself to its spindly upper arm. Clinging to its body, she could feel its “flesh” grow up around her, almost immediately ensnaring her feet and left hand as she reached her right arm back, bending a blade of metal from her wrist and lopping the remaining limb off with a single swing. The Chi Eater screamed as its arm fell harmlessly to the ground, though its attempts to absorb Lin still hadn't stopped.

As she struggled to pull herself free from the tar-like substance, Su retracted her cable momentarily and then sent it back at her sister, wrapping it around her body and forcibly extracting her from the severed limb's grasp as it gradually dissolved into a puddle on the ground. While Ravi and Huan maintained a steady barrage of Earthbending attacks from the heavily cratered bridge and pushed it back with some help from Ryuuki, Lin's sister helped her back up onto her feet, the Chief of Police wiping the sweat from her brow. “Thanks, that was a close one.” She stated simply, but gratefully. Su just smiled.

“Don't get too soft on me now, we've got a spirit to pin back down.” She replied. Lin smirked. That they did. Having now quite literally disarmed the Chi Eater, they returned to their previous line of attack, aiding Ravi and Huan in Earthbending attacks at the Chi Eater's head and chest, gradually generating more holes and dents that further restrained its movements faster than it could heal. They were running out of steam, but they should be able to keep this up for just a little bit longer. All they had to do was wait until Korra and the Airbenders were ready.

Meanwhile, back with Korra and the others, the Water Tribe girl was furious, breaking away from Tenzin's support and shouting at her fiancee as soon as she made her approach, approaching the green-eyed girl in turn. “What are you doing here? You were supposed to help people evacuate and then go join Raiko and Varrick where it's safe!” She yelled, clutching her chest with her left arm and wincing in pain as soon as she did. The force of the Chi Eater grabbing hold of her and pinning her to the ground like that combined with its suddenly being attacked and throwing her backwards had definitely left a mark, it felt like she'd fractured a rib or two. Combined with her exhaustion from four trips into the Avatar state and two failed wars of attrition with the wills of multiple parties, she was finding it awfully difficult to stand up right about now without her former teacher's support, Asami noticing this almost immediately and effortlessly moving in to help prop her up. Even despite Korra's anger, Asami just smiled. She was just glad she'd made it here in time.

“What, you didn't think I was going to let you have all the fun, did you?” Asami asked, trying to lighten the mood. Korra was unamused. Now wasn't the time for fooling around, which Asami had realized almost immediately afterward, her face becoming deathly serious as she noticed Korra's desperate expression. She was tired, hurt, angry, confused and scared, and every other negative emotion the engineer had ever seen on her face before, her icy blue eyes demanding answers. “...Varrick had the suit stashed nearby in case the Chi Eater attacked tonight. He _was_ going to use it himself, but I insisted.” And by insisted she meant “made serious threats of bodily harm” if he got in her way. The fact of the matter was that she and Zhu Li were _both_ better with these things than he was, and by her estimation, she was the only one with a fiancee out there going toe-to-toe with a homicidal spirit. Obviously, the choice was clear, Zhu Li willingly stepping aside and letting Asami take the suit in her stead.

Korra sighed. Of course it had something to do with Varrick. This was _exactly_ what she was hoping to avoid tonight. Though she was still visibly upset, she immediately threw her arms around Asami, ignoring the pain in her right shoulder and chest and pulling her into the tightest hug she could manage. She was just glad Asami was alright, that was beyond stupid. Surprised at first, Asami eventually eased into it, resting her face on Korra's head as the two shared in a brief moment of reprieve, though she was unable to return the favor of the hug on account of Korra's grip pinning her arms to her sides and starting to cut off her circulation a little bit. “Er, Korra, you're kind of starting to hurt me now...” She said.

“Good, you deserve it, dumbass...” She mumbled into the taller girl's shoulder, pulling away at her request. “...But thank you.” She said, flashing a smile. Until Asami had showed up, the Chi Eater had everyone right where it wanted them. If it weren't for her, Korra would probably be dead right now. Asami returned the favor, her smile quickly fading when her eyes darted back to the scene unfolding to her right, the heavily damaged Chi Eater being pushed further and further back towards the arena by the line of benders while Korra caught her breath, thanking the spirits that she and Asami were alright. Much as she may have wanted to tend to her partner's wounds and let her rest, they weren't out of the woods just yet. She still had work to do.

“You can thank me later – I don't think they're going to be able to hold that thing off much longer.” Asami hesitantly warned, the shambling form of the Chi Eater once held at bay by the benders' attacks now starting to slowly walk forward despite them, the benders in question visibly losing steam at an accelerated rate. Everybody was tired. The only one that wasn't was the spirit they were fighting, but they'd damaged its body enough that they'd limited its options and made it difficult for it to respond until it healed. It was the same situation they had it in before, when Korra opted to try and save it one more time as opposed to kill it – a mistake she wouldn't be making again. “Do you think you can handle it?” Asami asked, though she already knew what Korra's answer would be. Whether she could or not, it was going to be “yes”.

“Of course I can. I'm the Avatar.” She smirked, trying to put on a strong front for her fiancee. Asami just smiled supportively, nodding. She was tired, but no less confident. If there was anything Korra had in abundance, it was confidence and determination. So long as she still had those, Asami knew she would be just fine. Looking over at the Chi Eater, Korra's smirk quickly faded. She had no choice anymore, especially not after it attacked Asami like that. This thing had to die. _“Are you ready, Raava?”_ Korra asked, directing her thoughts to the spirit who shared her body, said spirit still being close to the surface, so-to-speak. They both knew wouldn't get another chance after this. There was no way to whittle this thing back down if they failed, and after Korra came out of the Avatar State this time, she'd almost certainly be down for the count. It was now or never. 

_“Yes. I appreciate your persistence in trying to save it, but it is time we put this spirit out of its misery.”_ The light spirit replied, disappointed, but determined. There were no alternatives anymore. Whatever had contacted them was likely too fragmented to be saved and this thing's killing spree had gone on long enough. It was time to correct her mistake and finish this, once and for all. Looking over at Tenzin, the young Avatar gave the old master the go-ahead, the older Airbender understanding immediately what she meant as she walked away from Asami's support and back toward the line of benders confronting the spirit, the Airbenders right behind her. 

Stepping into a side stance, she winced as she moved her arms, though she didn't seem to pay the pain much more mind than that. It may have hurt to move right now, but once she got back into the Avatar State, it should actually help to heal her injuries some. It didn't just provide her with extra power, it boosted her healing and endurance, as well, in an attempt to protect her from harm. That wasn't to say it was absolute, however. A well placed or powerful enough attack could still do her in if she wasn't careful, regardless of whatever boosts it may have granted her.

“Everybody, one more time!” Tenzin called, Opal, Ryu, Kai and the kids all nodding. While Korra prepared to launch herself into the Avatar state one more time and take this thing out, Ryuuki and the Earthbenders banded together to deliver one last group attack, utilizing every remaining ounce of strength they had to knock this bastard off its feet and set the stage for its final downfall. 

Azure embers trailed Ryuuki's finger tips as he ripped his arms apart and then brought them back together in front of him in a mighty clap, an explosive arc of blue fire as wide as his arms could stretch and equaling the breadth of the Chi Eater's shoulders blazing forward with speed enough that it could not simply zip out of the way, two subsequent waves from spinning kicks in the air following them up and striking its wide body once, twice, three times, the creature trying to brace itself and sliding back with each blow while Ryuuki moved forward with every swing. It was remarkable, really, the level of skill and power Ryuuki maintained even in such a seemingly exhausted state. He must've consistently trained himself to the point of exhaustion to keep up such remarkable speed and precision.

At the same time, Ravi and the Beifongs led an assault of their own, two pipes once hidden below the bridge seismically sensed and then drudged up by Su and Lin and thrust through the Chi Eater's clawed feet and into the hard granite below like nails right after Ryuuki's first wave made contact, limiting its movement further and nearly knocking the armless behemoth off balance and onto its back until it caught itself with its tail, which it quickly whipped around to strike at the boulders being levied at it currently by Huan and Ravi, debris they'd created from previous attacks being reused as to not too greatly dismantle the battered bridge they were fighting on. It pierced and exploded several rocks with little effort, but when Ryuuki's next two attacks flew its way, it could no longer so readily defend itself, the flames again propelling it backwards with their concussive force, the “nails” digging trenches through its feet as it slid slowly backwards.

They were trying to ground it on its back so that it wouldn't be able to so quickly recover its footing and move out of the way when the Airbenders performed their final technique, the same imprisoning one from before it reckoned, but it wasn't going to give them the chance. While it could spring two more tails from its back to stabilize itself or beef up its body somewhat, doing so would further slow down and take power away from its healing, which was currently more important if it wished to feast and/or book it out of here. This was what the benders were counting on, however, and when it retracted its tail to stabilize itself again, the metal pipes which had been bent and sharpened to impale its feet took off through its shins and skewered the appendage in question, an angered roar as it just barely managed to restabilize itself before it lost its tail for the second time tonight, eying the Metalbending sisters with disdain.

It faced no reprieve as the ground beneath its feet turned against it and shifted, the debris upon which it stood being yanked out from under it by Huan while Ravi ran in to deliver the final crippling blow himself, a large amount of granite collected around his right fist in a massive gauntlet that stretched up his forearm, with a lesser amount collected around his feet. Without its arms or tail to maintain its balance and orientation, the Chi Eater was threatening to fall back or onto its side at any moment, struggling with every ounce of strength it had to stay standing as it staggered backwards, but as Ravi propelled himself into the air, leapt for the Chi Eater's chest and delivered one hell of a painful punch with his gauntleted hand, there was no more fighting what was to come. It fell to the ground, landing on its back with a roar and a crash, while Ravi propelled himself away from the Chi Eater with the armor he had created, firing the rocks through the healing portion of its chest like bullets and reopening the hole Asami had created.

“NOW!” Ravi shouted as he flew backwards, having kicked off of the Chi Eater's abdomen with the granite he'd previously assembled around his feet as to avoid it doing to him what it did to Lin earlier in the fight. The Airbenders immediately responded, the Chi Eater snarling when it felt the air currents bend around it. No, not again. Enough was enough, the healing could wait – the humans were on the ropes and it wasn't about to let them bounce back and put it in the same position, not again. Never again. The gradual healing suddenly ceased as it spawned two more tails to prop itself back up, trying to generate as little matter as possible as to conserve energy, energy it put right back into healing once it'd finished and sprung back into an upright position, quickly spitting concussive waves from its “broken” mouth which were dissipated by the spiraling winds around it before they could shatter its targets. It was too late. It had waited too long.

“Cursed... humans...” The Chi Eater growled, its legs ripped from under it and tails cut in half as the air became visible and violent, a spherical prison lifting the dark spirit from the ground and suspending it in the air where it could do no harm, several shock waves it tried to generate diffused by the wind, its remaining limbs initially sustaining damage as it screeched and thrashed about in an attempt to wiggle out of the technique's hold, but then simply being pushed and compressed inward as it picked up speed and the Airbenders' grip tightened around it, the power and control of 7 Airbenders at once too much for it to contend with in its damaged and weakened state.

The fact of the matter was that between those two energy attacks and Korra's destruction of so much of its body, it was no longer able to heal fast enough to keep up with the damage that was being done to it by the benders, however minor. It wasn't that it was out of power – it still had plenty to spare – but it had been so badly beaten by this point that it couldn't just shrug off the lopping off of a limb or the peppering of its body with holes like before. It was like a cup which refills itself at a set rate so that you never run out of drink. While it _will_ keep on refilling itself, if you drink too fast, you will eventually reach the bottom and be forced to wait until it refilled enough that there was something there to drink again. That was essentially what was going on with the Chi Eater. 

While it had a nigh infinite reservoir of power at its disposal, not all of that power was immediately accessible. Throughout the being's whole, its power was divided – if it collected it all into one place, it would surely destroy itself. So instead, it divided it into pieces, collecting the energy it drained from those it ate into different “tanks” and then emptying those “tanks” into its core as necessary. Only problem was, it'd used that energy too liberally and emptying those tanks took time. Time it didn't have. That girl... that Avatar... her Energybending abilities were more than it had anticipated. Though she could not quell its spirit and she surely couldn't have known how it stored its power and how to use that to her advantage, she had nevertheless succeeded in vastly limiting what it could do and in doing so, paved the way to its destruction. 

When she had destroyed 80% of its body and forced it to make an escape and was then surrounded by 14 benders, it made the decision to devote a large portion of its central spirit's power into restoring its form to an even greater one than before and eat them all at once, a decision that proved to be disastrous in the long run. It was as much to blame for its current predicament as that damned Avatar was. Ceasing its screeching and thrashing about, it fell silent, knowing full well that there was no escaping what was to come anymore. It had lost. And when the familiar taste of Raava's energy reached its serpentine tongue, it knew its fate was sealed. This time, it would die.

When Korra went into the Avatar State one last time, the 5 in front ran and took shelter behind her as a surge of power rippled through the area, Air bending and twisting and rushing around her just like it was around the Chi Eater, her eyes glowing bright white and her feet lifting from the ground as she began to levitate in place, moving her arms to bend the four elements around her while the Airbenders inched back as they maintained the Chi Eater's prison, dragging it slightly closer to Korra as they did. The next elements to bend around her were Earth and Water, debris and overturned slabs from the bridge condensing and collecting around her barrier of Air as Water streamed up from the bay on both sides, the Chi Eater capable of doing little more than stare as the Avatar prepared to end its life, even its growling having by this point come to an end. How? How did it end up like this?

Finally came the Fire, red and orange exploding from her mouth and limbs and twisting and bending around the barrier like the elements before it, the Avatar's iconic simultaneous bending technique fully realized as a simultaneously defensive and destructive barrier of all four elements. But it was not with this barrier that she would be striking down the Chi Eater, but rather what she was making from it, its back tapering out and narrowing into what at first looked like a scorpion's tail until the barrier thinned and wrapped around her in a lone helix – a spear of the elements – coiled and ready to strike at Korra's command. As she and Raava bended bits of their own energies into the weapon, they were ready to go in for the kill, delivering one more message to their enemy before they did, their voices blended as one as the Avatar conveyed the words and the will of the Spirit of Light within.

 **“Piteous spirit, the fear and the pain you have inflicted upon the two worlds cannot be overlooked. Corrupt though you may be, you and the one who has infected and transformed you have refused the chance to change and left us with no other choice. Today, the suffering you have caused shall come to an end, permanently.”** The Avatar declared, the spear of the elements she stayed slowly twisting so that its tip was now pointed directly at the Chi Eater's core. Its head lowered and its eyes narrowing, the vacant blue still somehow managed to convey the disdain and lack of concern for its current predicament it held. It had no regrets. **“May you go in peace.”** They wished, the Avatar's ultimate attack closing the gap between her and the “piteous spirit”, instantly piercing through and canceling out the 7 Airbenders' technique and drilling into the core of the thousand year old chi eating spirit.

As soon as her weapon had made contact, the world around Korra once again fell deathly silent, lights and colors exploding from the creature's “flesh” without a sound as time slowed to a crawl. She could feel it again. The calling out for her attention, the connection of their spirits. But while before what she had experienced was cold and dark and desolate – endless blackness with a barely managed cry for help – this time, what she encountered was only peace and bliss, time standing still and her vision changing as she found herself back in the Spirit World, standing alone in a meadow before a lone tree and a tall white and gold spirit vaguely similar in shape and size to the Chi Eater. Was this the Chi Eater's memory? Was that what it really looked like?

Still she could hear no sound, but as she stood there, she could feel a breeze caress her flesh, blowing flower petals and blades of grass through the air in front of her, between herself and the Chi Eater's true form, several smaller spirits of varying forms and types appearing behind it. Were those its victims, the ones which had cried out for her to help before? As she stood and looked on in wonder, the gentle, dark-eyed spirit simply smiled warm, mouthing out two words before the moment could come to an end and her vision shifted back to reality, two words that put her conscience at ease. “Thank you”. She reached out to touch the spirit she saw before her, but before she could get too close, the vision ended and she was back to reality, driving her spear through the Chi Eater's heart. In a single attack, 1200 years came to an end.

As she drove the elements deeper, she could feel the connections it maintained to the spirits stored within it sever one by one. There were fewer than she'd initially assumed... perhaps this was why it went on the prowl every 25 years? After all, nothing lasts forever. With every spirit severed and destroyed, the black and blue Chi Eater she was more accustomed to seeing grew weaker, its power rapidly depleting as it was ripped apart from the inside out. Before its consciousness could completely fade however, it let out one more mighty roar, this one not of anger, or hunger, or intimidation, but of pain, and sadness, and defeat, its body run through with the Avatar's attack and plowed into the ground, the bridge around it beginning to crack and crumble under stress as wisps of energy of every color escaped from where the elements drilled.

Then, the spirit fell limp, the Avatar's attack running its course as she felt the final two spirits – the ones at its core responsible for all this mess – be consumed with light and destroyed, the elemental spear disappearing into what was left behind as the Chi Eater's shell dissolved into light like Vaatu before it, floating up into the air above and disappearing into the void, forever. In the end, even if she hadn't figured out who or what had corrupted the Chi Eater in the first place, she'd still managed to save it, in a way. She supposed that in its mind, death was better than remaining a slave to a will that wasn't its own. Whatever the case, finally, it was over. As Raava's power left her, Korra grunted beneath her breath, her eyes fading back to normal, rolling back and then closing as she fell to the ground, completely drained and unable to move.

As she fell, the portion of the bridge where the Chi Eater once stood and her simultaneous bending had dug into it collapsed completely, sinking into the bay only a few feet in front of her while she could feel her consciousness beginning to fade. She'd overexerted herself. Tapping into the Avatar State was as beneficial to her as it was dangerous, supercharging her energy by blending it with Raava's own, but it still took a toll on her. She may have been able to call upon that level of power 2, 3, maybe even 4 times if she was lucky, but 5? And with 2 Energybending duels and at least one instance of the simultaneous bending of all four elements between them? That was just too much, even for her. It was a miracle she'd fought as long as she had, honestly – a testament to her boundless determination.

“-or-a!?” As she felt herself slipping, she could hear a muffled voice call her name and feel the dull vibrations of footsteps and the soft touch of familiar fingers grazing and cradling her flesh. She smiled as much as her tired face would allow, letting go whatever will to keep awake she had left when she realized whose arms she was in. There was no safer place for her than here.

“Asami...” She whispered, her consciousness fading with the gentle stroking of her hair. The battle was finally over. She'd earned this.

***** *** *** *** *** *****

The next time Korra awoke, she found herself in the hospital. She hated hospitals, more specifically being treated in them. They made her feel uncomfortable. Visiting friends and family or taking someone in or helping out with healing duties was one thing, but she hated that innate feeling of powerlessness that came with being a registered patient in one. Call it an acquired distaste. But when she noticed the hand holding tightly onto hers and the dark-haired girl asleep in a chair she'd pulled up to be directly next to her bed, those feelings of uncomfortableness quickly melted away. So long as she was here, it couldn't be so bad, she supposed, smiling. “Hey.” She stated simply, her voice cracking from the dryness of her throat. How long had she been out? She really hoped she hadn't made Asami worry too much. As the girl to her right stirred, she supposed she'd be getting her answer.

“...Korra?” Asami asked, her eyes fluttering open. “...You're awake. Thank the spirits...” She remarked, her grip on the Avatar's hand tightening. She stood up from her chair so that she could get a better look at her fiancee, reaching out with her other hand to stroke Korra's face. The blue-eyed girl smiled. Asami was crying. Tears of joy, her smile assured. Asami helped her sit up, the two of them sharing in a hug. She felt like she'd been out for a while, but she wasn't sure how long. All she knew was that she'd exhausted herself more in that one battle than she'd felt since Zaheer, and honestly, she _still_ felt tired. But at least now she could take solace in the fact that it was over.

“How long have I been out?” She asked while she and Asami continued hugging. She'd changed out of her dress from the night of the premiere, so it'd been at least a day, and she'd neglected to put on any makeup, meaning she'd been sitting here for a while. Had she even been showing up for work? Maybe she left it to Ravi for a couple of days. He'd have understood if she did. Korra couldn't help but feel a little guilty at the thought, though. She'd just overexerted herself was all, there was no need for Asami to leave her company for her sake.

“Three days.” She replied. Three days? She really _had_ overdone it, huh? She still felt drained. That spirit... just what was it? The last time their spirits connected, that scene she saw in the meadow... the battle may have been over, but she felt like her work had only just begun. Thankfully, with the Chi Eater dead and whatever had infected and corrupted it presumably dying right along with it, she figured the rest of it would just be investigative work. Maybe she could get the Chief's permission to have Mako and Bolin assist her. They _were_ detectives, after all (or at least, detective and detective in training? Was Bolin even a detective? It was kind of unclear), and this _was_ still technically their case. Which reminded her...

“What about Mako and Bolin? Are they okay? Last I saw of them, Wei and Wing were taking them back to the mainland...” Korra thought aloud as she and Asami's hug came to an end. Asami nodded.

“They're going to be fine. Mako was very weak for a day or two, but he's already back on the beat. Bolin fractured a few ribs and broke his right arm, but with a few more healing sessions they think he should be good as new. Right now he's helping Mako and the Chief handle wrapping up the Chi Eater case.” She explained. 

“Thank goodness...” Korra sighed with relief. Honestly, she was surprised. With the way the Chi Eater had knocked him around, she'd have expected just about every bone in Bolin's body to have been broken right now. She guessed all those years on the streets and in the Pro Bending circuit and traveling the Earth Territories in Kuvira's Army really toughened him up. She had to start giving him more credit, he always seemed to defy her expectations. Hearing that Mako was okay was a relief, though. The Chi Eater had almost made him its next victim. If Bolin hadn't interrupted when he did... she guessed a few seconds weren't enough to cause any permanent harm. He was lucky. They all were. 

“...What about you?” She continued. The Chi Eater thankfully hadn't gotten the chance to attack her, but god, she must've been worried sick these past few days. She looked like hell, but she wasn't any less beautiful in Korra's eyes. Even dirty, unkempt and without any makeup on, she was gorgeous. Asami's smile widened.

“I'm fine, don't worry.” She replied. She knew what Korra meant. “I'm just glad that you're alright. The doctors said you'd be fine, you just needed to rest, but I was still worried, you know? I didn't know what that spirit did to you, for all I knew it could've taken you with it when it died, or...” She stopped herself before Korra could. Korra was fine. There was no reason to worry over what could've been, only to celebrate for what was. “...Sorry, I've just been overthinking things these past few days.” She apologized. Korra held back a chuckle. Was it wrong she found her worrying kind of cute? “How are you feeling?” She asked.

“Well, my shoulder hurts like hell and I feel like I haven't slept in a week, but other than that, I feel fine.” Korra smiled. All that sleep and it felt like she hadn't gotten any. Energybending in its traditional spirit-to-spirit form was more taxing than she'd anticipated. “Everything's going to be fine now...” She thought aloud, her eyes narrowing with joy as her smile widened. A thousand year long nightmare had finally come to an end. Now that was something to be happy about. Asami nodded. Everything was going to be fine.

“...Oh, President Raiko wanted me to tell you that you're free to testify in Kuvira's trial whenever you're ready. They're going to hold off on final deliberations until you've recovered and spoken your piece.” The engineer mentioned. Korra wasn't one to revel in moments of reprieve like this if there was still work to be done, and Asami knew it. She may have wanted Korra to take a day or two to herself and finish recovering, but so long as she was awake and able to walk, she also knew she wouldn't be able to stop her from getting right back to work. 

Besides, testifying at a trial would be a lot less strenuous than continuing the investigation around the Chi Eater, something else Asami knew Korra wouldn't be able to keep herself from. That girl was a real workaholic. Not that Asami wasn't the same if she was involved with a particularly interesting project or putting together a new invention of hers, but still. She could learn to take it easy and take mini vacations here and there. ...Even if they came not even two days after a bigger vacation. Life, man. 

Korra let herself chuckle this time, well aware of what Asami wanted to say after that, “Though I think you should take another day or two”. She wasn't really complaining, this time around. She was exhausted. Another day or two sounded perfect. “Thanks. I'll get to it tomorrow, probably. All I want to do today is get back home and go to sleep.” Said the girl who'd been asleep the past three days. Asami chuckled next.

“What do you know, you _can_ teach an old dog new tricks. Never thought you'd be one to take it easy.” Asami teased. Korra shook her head, sliding her legs over the side of the bed and looking down. She was in a hospital gown. Of course. She hated these things. Where did they put her clothes?

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I don't have a giant robot to topple or a homicidal spirit to stop this time, I can afford to take another day or two. They're giving me time.” As she looked around the room, Asami walked over to the couch, handing Korra her normal clothes. She'd apparently grabbed them from the closet whenever it was that she went home and changed out of her dress. Korra thanked the taller girl, looking over her shoulder to make sure the door was closed before taking off the gown and getting dressed. The sooner she got out of here, the better.

“Are you sure you still _want_ to testify? Don't get me wrong, I think it's admirable what you're doing and I still support you if you're still going to do it, but I don't know if you're going to be able to change the jury's mind alone. From what I've been hearing these past couple of days, just about everybody is calling for Kuvira's head, Su and Lin included.” Korra's smiled faded, but she remained silent, continuing to listen as she put on her shirt. “And I noticed the way Bolin and Opal looked at each other in the car when you mentioned wanting to take part. I think they know what you're going to say as well as I do. Bolin is one thing, but Opal... she almost lost her family to that woman, and she's not the only one. Others have had it worse. There's a lot of hate.” Asami explained, wanting to catch her fiancee up on what was going on and alerting her to the state of things with the others, not that Korra wasn't already at least partially aware.

Now fully dressed except for her shoes, Korra sat back down on the bed, sighing. She knew what she was in for here, but that's precisely why she was doing this. She was the only one that would. “I know, there _is_ a lot of hate, that's why I need to testify. Kuvira... I get her. I almost _was_ her. Maybe what she's done is unforgivable, maybe it isn't. But I don't think killing her is going to fix anything. I understand why she did what she did and I think she genuinely cares for her people. If I can, I want to try and give her the chance to atone and actually help the Earth Territories as a part of her sentence. We'll see how it goes.” Korra explained. Asami's smile quickly returned. She really had become a more compassionate person, hadn't she?

“I think that's a very kind thing to do. I hope you can get through to them, and to her.” Asami replied.

“I'll try my best.” Korra smiled. Putting on her socks and boots, Korra was now fully dressed and ready to go, standing back up and stretching out her back. She'd been lying down too long, she could still feel her joints crack. First thing tomorrow, training session. Alone or not, she had to make up for three days of sleeping, that was just unforgivable. As she prepared to grab Asami and leave the room, there was a knock at her door, a nurse walking in and noticing that the Avatar had already hopped out of bed and gotten dressed.

“Um, Avatar Korra, the doctor hasn't cleared you to go just yet...” He stated hesitantly, not sure if he'd be able to convince the Avatar to wait another hour or two for the doctor to show up. Korra smirked.

“Well, they're not the only healer here, and I know my body better than they do. I'm fine.” She stated with confidence. Before the nurse could say anything more, however, the doctor in question happened to pass by, noticing that Korra was finally up.

“Oh, you're awake, excellent!” The doctor stated as she entered the room, shaking the Avatar's hand. “Glad to see you're feeling better. You think you're good to go?” She asked, looking over her charts one more time while she awaited Korra's answer. Everything seemed to be in order.

“Yeah, you guys did a pretty good job healing my injuries. All I've got is a bruised shoulder and a hankering for an actual bed, these things are really uncomfortable...” She groaned, rubbing the small of her back. The doctor laughed. They got that a lot. Still, it beat sleeping on the ground in the Spirit World for 2 months.

“Good, good. Well, everything seems to be in order. Given the nature of the spirit you were fighting, we called in some of our best healers to make sure everything was okay in regards to your spirit and your chi. No negative side effects so far as we can tell.” The doctor explained, smiling. “You're free to go.” Korra's smile widened. Excellent. Thanking the doctor and the nurse, she and Asami grabbed the last of their things, checked out and headed for Asami's car. She'd forgotten it was painted in her colors. The Avatar smiled.

“You know, I've been starting to realize lately how long you've actually had feelings for me,” Korra remarked, an amused grin on her face. “It's kind of cute, honestly. Sorry I made you wait so long.” She lightly apologized. Asami laughed.

“Don't worry about it. You came around eventually, dense as you are. That's all that matters.” She teased. Korra huffed. Dense? Well, she'd never. The two shared another laugh, Korra taking a seat on the passenger side and letting the business tycoon who owned the car drive it. She was still pretty tired, last thing she wanted was fall asleep at the wheel, get them into a crash and land both of them back in the hospital. That would be unpleasant, albeit kind of hilarious. Turning the key to the ignition, as the car roared to life, Asami grinned, mimicking Korra from a few days prior and looking in the Water Tribe girl's direction. Wasn't every day somebody got to drive the Avatar. Unless your name was Asami Sato, anyway, in which case it very well _could_ be every day if she wanted. 

“So, where to next, Ms. Sato?” Asami teased. Korra raised an eyebrow, smiling wide. Really now? Ms. Sato? Well, they _were_ betrothed, after all... she may as well get used to it now, right?

“Just take me home, Ms. Sato.” She playfully replied.

“As you wish.” Asami sang, shifting the vehicle out of park. “Next stop, the Sato Estate.” 

Home. 

After everything that'd happened these past few days, there was honestly nowhere Korra would rather be, and no one Korra would rather be there with. Tomorrow she'd be getting right back to work, but today? She had the whole day to rest and spend with Asami, and she wouldn't have it any other way. After all, a victory was a victory, and a victory was to be celebrated, so that's exactly what she was going to do.

Tomorrow afternoon, the real work began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a bit more thought and longer to complete than I'd anticipated, sorry about that! I'm still not sure if I'm 100% happy with how this turned out, but I've sat on this and tweaked it for long enough, I figured it was time to stop being a perfectionist and just post the damn thing already. But you know what, I'm still pretty proud of what came out of it. So yeah, here we are - the first major action sequence of "Forever" is now officially complete. But it is just the first of many, I assure you - we're only maybe half way into this thing, at most. I've got a lot more planed and it's only going to get more desperate from here as things move forward with Kuvira and more revelations about the Chi Eater's nature and origins are made.
> 
> The next chapter should be back to business as usual and, as of the writing of this end-of-chapter note, is planned to focus pretty heavily on Korra, Asami, Kuvira, Opal, Bolin and Mako, probably in that order of relevance? I don't know, I've got plans, but they have a way of changing when you actually get to the writing portion of writing, so we'll see how it goes. I really hope you guys enjoyed this and look forward to the next chapter!


	7. Bad Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A week and a half has passed since the defeat of the Chi Eater and Korra and the rest of Republic City are struggling to regain some sense of normalcy. None of them are out of the woods just yet, however, as the impending verdict of Kuvira's sentencing weighs heavy over the populace and Korra is forced to take on the more nuanced and non-combative aspects associated with being the Avatar and keeping balance in the world; a job much more personal, polarizing and frustrating than she ever could've imagined.

# Book Five  
Chi  
  
Chapter Seven  
Bad Blood

As the sun peered over the mountaintops around their marble mansion home, two young women sparred for supremacy, locked in a battle more intense than either of them had had since the Chi Eater incident a week and a half prior. With the radio on in the background playing a variety of jazzy tunes from their favorite local station, the two wide-awake early risers clashed with padded hands and feet, matching each other blow-for-blow as they danced around the specially designed room in their home's northern end – a room that, until recently, hadn't seen any use from the young engineer to whom it belonged in more than 3 years.

Having only woken up not even 30 minutes ago, neither of them had bothered to fix their hair or clean themselves up before heading down to train, seeming to have simply gotten up from bed, slipped into some shorts and a tank top, and then gotten right down to business – after enjoying a brief breakfast together, of course, as the two empty teacups and crumb-ridden plates by the door may have indicated.

“Come on, Korra, you can do better than that!” Asami taunted as she deflected another attack from her wife-to-be, the green-eyed engineer in no lesser shape than she was before hers and Korra's more than 2 month vacation in the Spirit World. Not that this was very surprising, considering they never really stopped training, even then. While they _were_ taking a break from their duties to the city (and the world), that didn't mean that they were just going to slack off _completely_ for 2 months and fall out-of-shape again. Especially not Korra, who had only _just_ gotten back into shape after recovering from her poisoning. So instead, the two of them came up with a training schedule they could do together, complete with the occasional sparring session.

Though, back then, they didn't start nearly as early. That, unfortunately, was due to the reality of their busy schedules back in Republic City. Now they trained together just about every day but the weekends, waking up early in the morning to either exercise, practice their moves and forms, train with the various dummies and equipment set up in and around the room, or spar with one another, which came in three varieties: armed, unarmed and bending. The first made use of wooden practice weapons for one or both sides, the second was pure close quarters combat, and the third allowed Korra to bend while fighting while Asami could go in armed or unarmed, something the Avatar was otherwise prohibited from doing.

Today happened to be a simple unarmed combat day.

With another one of her attacks deftly avoided, Korra grumbled, giving her fiancee a playful scowl in genuine annoyance, frustrated with her inability to land a solid blow but continually impressed with her partner's hand-to-hand ability – she was a force to be reckoned with for sure. Were she allowed to use her bending today, she'd probably be able to put up a better fight, but as it stood, that wasn't the case, which gave the Sato a slight advantage given that this was all she'd ever had, making it an incredibly honed skill. Regardless of his reasons why, her father wanted Asami to be able to fight and hold her own, especially against benders, meaning that this was one of the worst positions Korra could possibly be in – completely unassisted and locked in a battle with a person trained specifically to have a chance at taking her down at her best.

Combine this with all of the training the two had done together over the past few months and things fell even more out of Korra's favor, Asami appearing to have begun picking up on some of Korra's bending techniques and incorporating their strikes and movements into her own style, something she felt would come in handy in facing benders in the future. Or, the Avatar in a sparring session. Still, it was important that Korra could hold her own without her bending, too, and she knew that. There were still a few ways her bending could be temporarily knocked out or some situations where it would be inadvisable, meaning she needed to know what she was doing on all fronts. And she was improving a lot, too. But the rate at which Asami's CQC skills were sharpening far outpaced Korra's own. If she could use even one element, then maybe... but no. That was for another day.

Shaking off the disappointment of another parried blow, Korra got her head right back in the game and rushed in twice as determined, the two of them continuing to exchange a series of blows, blocks, parries and simple dodges that almost seemed to move faster than the eye could see. Asami was landing more actual hits than Korra was, but Korra was able to tank more blows then Asami could and made use of every strike against her, taking them as an opportunity to try and grab hold of Asami and pull her in closer, or hold her back for an attack of her own. She may not have been as sharp of a fighter as Asami was, but Korra was just as resourceful, and while Asami had skill and precision (and in a real life scenario, her technology), Korra had power and physical endurance that far exceeded her fiancee's own (and, in an ordinary situation, her bending).

While a little crude and risky, Korra's strategy of intentionally allowing certain moves to connect so that she could use them to her advantage was effective, and Asami was finding it increasingly difficult to deal with it. It also didn't help that whenever Korra went in for a blow, she went in _hard_. Nowhere near full force, of course – both of them were pulling their punches a bit as to avoid hurting each other too badly – but by Asami's estimation, Korra's attacks were still at least a third more powerful than her own. They might not seriously harm, but they could definitely bruise, and Korra's strategy lent itself well to grapples and pins, which was precisely how this fight was slated to be ended. Whoever could pin the other down to a point where they couldn't get back up first won.

And so to that end, the two of them punched and kicked and grappled and fought with dull, resounding thuds, their padded gloves and shoes noisily declaring every strike and lessening the impact of every pulled punch even further. Just because they weren't trying to seriously hurt each other, however, didn't meant that they weren't still trying to show off and best the other in combat, as Asami's next move clearly showed. Ducking around an incoming jab from the Avatar, the long dark-haired engineer used the failed attempt to strike her to her advantage, delivering a feint to Korra's face before suddenly changing gears and grabbing hold of her shoulder instead, using it as leverage as she utilized her forward momentum and close proximity to perform a cartwheel over and behind her, catching the Avatar momentarily off guard.

The self-assured smirk on Asami's face when Korra looked back in shock said it all. Though nobody knew what she was capable of more than her, Asami still got the feeling that Korra underestimated her in battle, just a little bit, so she always felt like she had something to prove whenever they got the chance to spar like this. So, prove it she did. She could take on more than just a couple of goons, she could take on the Avatar, too, and she wanted to make sure that Korra recognized that. Hell, she was even more impressive when they were doing a sparring session where Korra was allowed to bend. But still – even if Korra _did_ underestimate her a little bit, nobody knew Asami better than her, so when she landed right behind her, Korra knew exactly what to expect.

Before she could get the chance to turn around, Asami was already in motion, twisting and lowering her body in a spinning sweep across the floor with her right leg, clearly aiming to break the Avatar's footing while her back was turned and she was unaware, but this was a move Korra had seen Asami use against others before. The moment she got behind her and attempted to attack her from behind, she knew just what to expect, taking a short hop into the air and over her fiancee's leg, avoiding her attack entirely, the green-eyed girl's gaze slightly widening. Impressive foresight.

“Nice try,” Korra began. “But I've seen that one before.” Combined with her knowledge of how Asami thought and the way she was trained, it wasn't too difficult to see it coming, it was just reacting in time that was a problem. Thankfully, she'd made it.

The briefly surprised engineer's face returned to a resting smirk, Asami committing herself to following through with her initial plan of attack and settling back into her previous routine of strategically aimed punches, kicks and other such strikes before Korra had the chance to turn around to meet her in full, letting her get in one or two good punches into her fiancee's back before she regained her bearings and tried for a back kick that sent Asami staggering backwards, just barely managing to avoid it. This continued back-and-forth trading of punches and kicks in a relentless assault from both sides went on for another 15 to 20 minutes more, both girls dripping with sweat and beginning to feel the strain as the fighting took its toll. How long had it been since either of them had gone at it this intensely? Well, outside of _that_ , anyway.

While they were both in roughly equal shape and stood there in a ready stance, panting, waiting for the other to make the move that'd end the fight, Korra was beginning to realize that she was likely on the losing end of this little bout of theirs, all the blows she'd taken and extra power she'd been using leaving her barely able to remain standing in the final stretch. She'd only served to exhaust herself further quicker, stacking the odds even more in the Non-Bender's favor. She could see it now more than ever. The fire behind those glistening green eyes. The determination on her face. She was ready to bring this match to an end, she was ready to _win_. This next move would be her last.

Korra furrowed her brow the moment Asami's body twitched to move forward, time almost seeming to slow down for her as the adrenaline rushed through her veins and she began to think about what, if anything, she could do to avoid what was coming, and within the confines of the rules, there was nothing. She had grown far too tired and sluggish to land a decisive blow of her own, let alone tank or avoid the one coming her way. First the snowball fight in the South Pole, then her unexpected appearance during the Chi Eater battle, now this? Either Asami was a lot more capable than even Korra had thought, or she still wasn't back at 100%, because the more she thought about it, the more she was beginning to realize just how often she was either losing out or being shown up by her these days, in the battlefield _and_ the bedroom (spirits, that girl could get wild).

Honestly, it was kind of frustrating. She thought that she was back in action, but maybe she still had some recuperating to do? Or had Asami simply grown _this much_ in 3 years' time? Not that it was a bad thing if she had! Korra was proud of her, definitely, but what could she say? She was a competitive girl and she'd been doing a lot of losing lately, especially this past week. Her ego was bruised. The only possible way she could ever win this match now would be if Asami made a mistake or got caught on something and tripped, creating an opening where Korra could then keep the clearly tired girl down with little more than her body weight. But the odds of that happening naturally were slim to none. There was no way out of what was coming. No way, that was, except...

A mischievous grin crept its way across Korra's face as she sussed out a way to end this match in her favor, fairly or not, making use of a little bit of stealthy Airbending to turn the tides and provide her with the “mistake” she so desperately needed to come out on top – literally, as it happened. So, as Asami came in closer and Korra moved backwards in an attempt to avoid the oncoming punch, as she slid her left foot back, she created an Airbending vacuum aimed at Asami's right leg, pulling her in ever-so-slightly by the ankle and immediately throwing her off balance, providing exactly the kind of opening she was looking for. _Perfect_.

“What!?” Asami yelped, feeling as though she'd slipped, an unexpected tug interrupting her attack and forcing her to try and catch herself before she fell, catching glimpse of Korra's smirk as she closed the distance between them and made use of the opening she'd created, wrestling her to the ground. It was in that instant that she realized what was going on, Asami's brow the one to furrow this time as it hit her. So she was playing dirty, was she? Well, she'd be taking that as a concession of Korra's failure, then, and Asami's overall victory if _that_ was the only way she could think to win.

This time, Asami was the one with no way out, Korra's “victory” assured as she felt herself tackled and pinned onto the matted floor below, Korra climbing on top of her and holding her down by both arms as she lie sprawled out onto her back, the Water Tribe girl's face mere inches from hers with a satisfied grin sprawled across her lips.

“I win~” Korra sang with confidence, unaware that Asami had already caught on to her little ploy. Had she really now? The engineer raised an eyebrow in response, a half-amused, half-annoyed look in her eye to which Korra seemed to remain blissfully unaware, high off of her “victory”. Seemed as though she was chalking it up to Asami's dissatisfaction at losing. She really should've known better.

“Do you really now?” Asami asked, Korra's grin almost immediately shrinking by at least half. Uh oh. That tone said it all. “You know you're not allowed to bend today, Korra – this was strictly a _hand-to-hand_ session, remember?” Crap, she was on to her. But, she wasn't going to give up now – maybe she could lie her way out of this, she naively thought, returning her grin to its previous state.

“What? I have no idea what you're talking about,” Korra began, half-rolling her eyes. “It's not my fault you got clumsy in the home stretch~” She stated with the same sing-songy voice from before, clearly teasing her fiancee. So that's how she was going to be, huh? Well, two could play at that game. If it was teasing that she wanted, it was teasing she was going to get, and unfortunately for Korra, even from down there, Asami still had the upper hand.

“You just wanted to get on top of me, didn't you?” Asami dropped with a knowing grin, Korra's eyes _immediately_ darting back to Asami's as her face turned beet red, an embarrassed pout replacing her mischievous grin. Did she just go where she thought she did? “I mean, it's not like you've really gotten the chance any other time this last week and a half...” While Korra's face could only turn redder and redder as her nose crinkled in flustration, Asami's grin evolved into a self-assured smile. _Got her_.

“Excuse me!?” The Avatar asked with an amused scoff, unbelieving of what she was hearing. Seriously, did Asami _really_ just go there? True or not, that was just plain low! ...Though, then again, so was Airbending in a Non-Bending match, so maybe it all evened out in the end... but still! _That's_ what she was returning fire with? Okay, she got it, Asami was upset. She was just glad that no one else was around right now to hear that – this wasn't a part of her life she was exactly eager to share with everyone.

“You heard me~” Came the reply, just as playful in its tone as Korra's little tease from a moment earlier.

“T-that's just because I'm still a little dinged up from that whole Chi Eater thing, that's all! A-and this week's been very stressful! Yeah!” Korra defended, not that Asami was particularly buying it. All things considered, she came out of that battle in pretty good shape – any injuries she'd sustained had long since healed up by now, never mind the exhaustion. Korra didn't know if it was the residual post-betrothal rush or because she'd almost died a few days ago or what, but something had gotten into that girl of hers that she just couldn't top. Literally. But, she would concede that it'd been a tiring week; Korra just didn't have the energy to take charge lately. Which Asami knew of course, but it was still an effective teasing strategy. With her mind now completely removed from the match, Asami's smile grew imperceptibly wider.

Korra was open.

“I dunno, you sure put up a hell of a fight for somebody supposedly so 'dinged up'.” ...Damn, Korra hadn't thought about that. Her lie was even flimsier than she thought. “You did pretty good, all things considered. You just forgot about oooone little thing...” Korra raised an eyebrow. Forgot...? “My legs.” ...Wait, what?

Before Korra could register what was going on, Asami had already used her superior flexibility as a fighter to her advantage, reaching the legs Korra had so amateurishly forgotten to secure up and around her from beneath her arms, pulling the Avatar up and off of Asami with impressive physical strength, quickly reversing their positions as she slammed her back-first onto the mat, taking a much more confident and deserved stance on top of the Avatar as the Water Tribe girl now found _herself_ to be the one held down with Asami on top of _her_ instead – a familiar, frustrating, but not entirely unwelcome sight.

“So, what was all of that about winning, now?” She asked. Korra sighed, laughing slightly at the throbbing pain in her back. Well, that's what she got for trying to cheat her fiancee, she supposed.

“Okay, okay, you got me,” She conceded, Asami flipping a stray lock of hair from her face as she flashed the girl another smirk. Damn right she did. “You don't need to be all smug about it though, I was just trying to have a little fun...” Korra excused. Well, it wasn't a total lie...

“Uh-huh, sure.” Asami replied, her purportedly smug smile still unwavering. Much to Korra's dismay, Asami was much more skilled than she in securing downed enemies and sparring partners – there was no getting out of this one, even if she _could_ use her legs like Asami. Which, to be perfectly honest, she wasn't sure she could. Asami was always just a _little_ bit better at reversals like that than Korra was, never mind more flexible. In the end, despite her best efforts and even a little Airbending assist, Asami still won. Korra sure did know how to pick them. “What did we learn?” Asami asked.

“Cheating is bad.” Korra sighed.

“And?” The engineer pressed.

“And you're the better fighter.” Korra begrudgingly continued, turning her head away as she did, clearly embarrassed.

“Damn right I am.” Asami confirmed with confidence. “Don't do that again, please.” She finished, her tone more serious this time around. All teasing aside, Korra's little trick was pretty low, and she knew it. But, she'd learned her lesson. It wouldn't happen again.

“I won't. I'm sorry.” Korra apologized, looking back up at her wife-to-be. “It's just been a rough week, y'know? I wanted at least _one_ little victory against you.” She explained. Asami shook her head.

“Then earn it.” She replied, warmness returning to her words as she released her hold on her fiancee and helped her back up to her feet. “You know you're better than that.” Korra smiled, nodding.

“Yeah... I guess I am. I'm sorry.” She repeated. Asami nodded.

“Apology accepted.” She said.

The battle over and apology relayed, Korra tiredly walked over to the table by the doorway, two empty glasses and a pitcher of water sitting by the girls' teacups and breakfast plates. Cooling the pitcher with a touch and pouring herself a glass, the Avatar gulped it down in a matter of seconds, plopping onto one of the two chairs set up on either side as she did. Moving the glass back onto the table once she'd finished but refusing to release her grip on it, she looked on with exhaustion as Asami undid the ponytail she'd tied her hair into and walked over to join the Avatar, Korra taking the liberty of pouring and cooling her glass, as well. It was the least she could do, really. Asami quietly thanked her, taking the seat at the other end of the table closest to the door, choosing to nurse her water as opposed to drink it down in one go like Korra did.

While Asami stared out the large window across the room and into the garden, Korra had her gaze affixed entirely onto Asami, staring silently at her as she thought to herself about the events of the last couple of weeks. They weren't even back a _day_ before Korra had gotten herself roped into some sort of crisis again, ultimately ending up with her going toe-to-toe with a psycho spirit not even three days after her vacation and then getting herself wrapped up in Kuvira's trial shortly thereafter, just like she'd promised. Now that the Chi Eater was dead and gone though, she was finally free to turn her attention to those sorts of things.

Meanwhile, the city had to take yet more time out of its schedule and money out of its budget in order to repair the Pro Bending Arena, which, given its importance to the local economy, obviously got bumped up to the top of the city's to-do list, yet again detracting from the older neighborhoods that were still suffering from the after effects of Kuvira's attack and the recent rise in Triad activity. But, at the very least, Ryuuki's donation money to Future Industries remained untouched, left to fulfill its intended purpose of helping the neighborhoods most in need at Asami's and Future Industries' discretion.

Speaking of, last she'd heard about that guy, he'd opted to take the time out of his schedule to stick around in Republic City for the remainder of the month and help out with the Arena's reconstruction, feeling as though he was partly responsible for everything that had happened since it was his mover that drew the creature's attention in the first place. Since then, the premiere had been rescheduled for tonight, the location having been moved to an old stage theater in Westside Republic City. It could only fit about half as many people as the Arena at best, but there were multiple showings planned today in order to compensate for that. Nobody knew how many people would actually show up for a second time though, especially after what'd happened the first time around, even if the threat _had_ since been neutralized. But, the city remained hopeful.

And then, there was Kuvira's trial...

Just as she and Asami had discussed, she'd testified in favor of a prison sentence as opposed to a death sentence, and unsurprisingly, this immediately landed her in hot water with some portions of the public. A lot of people had fled to Republic City in hopes that they'd be safe from Kuvira's “reunification” of the Earth Kingdom, but they weren't. They weren't, and Korra felt responsible. Equally unsurprisingly, the press immediately jumped on the Avatar-hate bandwagon, spinning the story even further out of her favor and, in some circles, putting her right back where she was before the Red Lotus incident in terms of public approval.

But, those were the times she lived in now: the public's opinion was ever-changing and could turn on her at the drop of a hat. One story about her wanting to preserve a life and all the good will she'd earned from taking down Kuvira in the first place was gone, at least with some people. Thankfully, there were still crowds out there who got where she was coming from and outlets that supported her, but still, it was disheartening. Not just how mad people were that she wasn't as eager to kill somebody as they were, deserving or not, but the fact that they wanted to kill her at all. Honestly, if any of her old foes deserved a death penalty, it would've been Zaheer, in her opinion, but he was still alive and well, chained up in the mountains.

But, the United Republic appeared to be intent on making an example out of the woman. With the Earth Kingdom officially dissolved and the Earth Territories in a state of limbo as they returned to their pre-Kuvira interim (now permanent) governments, the last thing anybody wanted was another conqueror or “Great Uniter” showing up in the midst of any chaos down the line. They wanted to show what would happen to such dissidents, that actions like Kuvira's would not be tolerated. They wanted not only justice, but vengeance, and nowhere was this more apparent than with the Beifongs, the family that once considered Kuvira one of their own. Now they wouldn't even speak on behalf of her life.

The whole thing had been incredibly stressful for Korra, and to be honest, she wasn't sure what she would've done if Asami wasn't there to help her through it and talk to her about it. People hadn't hated her this much since she decided to leave the Spirit Portals open, but she had Asami there helping her through that, too. Honestly, that's kind of why today's sparring session had been so intense and why she wanted to win so badly – stress relief. She wanted SOME kind of a victory this week, no matter how small or ill-gotten it was, just like she'd said. But, it was another loss. Not exactly the best way to start her day, but what could she do? It could only go up from here, right?

Once the verdict on Kuvira was finally announced, Korra could deal with whatever it was the press had to ask of her and then get to work on asking the spirits about the Chi Eater. With any luck, it'd be a relatively quick and painless process and she could get back home and relax for a bit before heading out to help set up for the premiere, or maybe pop in on Asami at work and brighten up her day. Well, she could hope, anyway.

By this point, Korra had been staring at Asami for quite some time, admiring her fiancee's beauty and finding comfort in her just sitting there; time enough that Asami had begun to notice, raising an intrigued eyebrow as Korra practically stared a hole straight through her.

“...? Korra? Is something wrong?” She asked, recognizing the look on the Avatar's face as being her “deep thought” look. That girl had so much weighing on her mind right now, it hurt Asami's head just to think about. I mean, yeah, as the CEO of Future Industries, she had a lot on her plate as well, but Korra's job was so much bigger than signing some papers or drawing up some designs, and Asami had teams of assistants and employees at her disposal to help lighten her load. But Korra? Asami often wondered how she did it all, and frankly, sometimes, so did Korra.

“...Huh? Oh, no, it's nothing – I'm just admiring how beautiful you are. Have I ever mentioned how good you look when you sweat? The light has this way of glistening off of your skin when you do that's just...” Korra covered, half-lying. Asami already knew what she was really thinking about, but she really was admiring her fiancee's beauty at the same time. How in the world did she get so lucky? Asami often thought of herself as the lucky one – I mean, her girlfriend was the freakin' Avatar for crying out loud – but whenever Korra woke up in the morning next to her? All she could think was that she must've accumulated a LOT of good karma over the years, because Asami was just... perfect.

“You _may_ have mentioned something like that before...” The dark-haired girl giggled in response, picking up on the sincerity in her words. They'd talked enough about current events, she supposed. She may as well let her change the subject and occupy her mind with other things if she really wanted to, she'd earned that much. “But you're pretty beautiful too, you know, sweaty and reeking with the stench of sore loser or not. Don't go selling yourself _too_ short now.” She replied, Korra immediately looking away to try (and fail) to hide her blushing.

“I have no idea what you're talking about. There's only room for one beautiful person in this relationship, and that sure as hell isn't me.” Korra replied. “Like, I have the looks of an angry armadillo bear at the best of times while you look like you could star in a mover at your worst, I mean come on.” Yeah, but she was Asami's angry armadillo bear, and Asami thought she was absolutely gorgeous regardless. “I will admit that I have a winning personality, though...” She finished with a smug smile, rubbing her chin. Asami laughed again.

“Whatever you say.” She sarcastically conceded. Letting loose a contented sigh as she finished her water and Korra poured the both of them a fresh glass, Asami found herself the one deep in thought this time around, her mind drifting back to the room they were in. How long had it been since she'd actually been in here, anyway? 3 and a half, 4 years, maybe? Something around that; since a little before the Equalist Uprising. After that, she couldn't bring herself to so much as look at it anymore, let alone enter it. Until now, that was. If it weren't for Korra, she wasn't sure she'd have been able to take it. Not after everything that had happened since then.

“...You know, I hadn't actually been in this room for years until you moved in.” Asami began after a few moments of silence, catching Korra's attention.

“Really? Why not? It seems like the perfect place to train. I mean, everything's already set up for it, and all this equipment is really top notch...” Korra wondered. Asami's smile weakened, her eyes narrowing somewhat dishearteningly at the mention as she kept her gaze affixed straight ahead, holding onto her glass with both hands.

“Yeah, well, that _is_ what this room was made for.” Asami said. “My dad called it the “Sato Family Dojo”. He had it added onto the house shortly after my mother died specifically for me. He wanted to train me to be able to defend myself – against benders, especially – but keep me close while he did, somewhere safe and comfortable where he could join in or check up on me anytime he wanted or his schedule allowed. This room is where I first learned everything I know today.”

“Exactly. So why wouldn't you use it then?” Korra asked. Asami bit her lip. Well, that was actually the whole problem. The memories.

“My dad.” She replied simply. Korra fell silent after that, everything suddenly beginning to make sense. That's right... somehow, she'd almost forgotten. She wasn't going to press it any further after that, but Asami didn't seem to mind – she wanted to get this out there. She wanted Korra to know this. “...After everything that'd happened with my dad, Amon, the Equalists... my entire view of him changed, especially in relation to me. Finding out that he was a part of that really threw me for a loop. I began to wonder what he was really training me for, if it was really so that I'd be able to defend myself and make sure that what happened to my mom never happened to me or if he was just training me to be another weapon in his insane war against benders.” Yeah, Korra could see why any memories she may have had in here would've been tainted after that... she was going to say something, but stopped herself, letting Asami continue.

“I know what you're thinking, that he probably really did care about me and was doing this to protect me, that everything he did was to protect me in the end, but I... I honestly can't say for sure. I don't know. And that really hurts, you know? Suddenly, all those memories I had of this kindly single father just trying to do his best to raise his daughter were completely destroyed. The image I had of him as this genius inventor struggling to make time for his work and his family was tainted by something I couldn't and didn't want to understand. We never got to spend much time together when I was growing up, because of the company. It's part of the reason I first started taking an interest in things, wanting to be closer to him and spend more time with him, but this room... this was one of the few places I got to spend time with him that wasn't all business or learning, you know? As much as we trained, we talked here, too. We unwound, played Pai Sho, drank tea, watched the sunset paint the gardens... and then he went and ruined all of it.”

What could Korra even say to all of that? If she were in Asami's position, she probably would've reacted the same way, to be honest. It made sense. She knew that Hiroshi's betrayal had really affected her, but she didn't often put much thought into _how_ it affected her exactly unless she had to, like when she first heard that he was making an attempt to reconnect with her. But Asami? She had to live with this every day. She didn't have the luxury of not having to think about it. Her father was the only family she had, and then he betrayed her. He threw away everything. In the end, they did finally reconnect and she did manage to forgive him, but... well, some wounds healed slower than others.

“...I'm sorry.” Korra finally spoke up, not really sure what else she could say. She _was_ sorry though, that Asami had to go through and deal with all of that. She couldn't even begin to imagine how it must've felt.

“Don't be. You... kind of changed everything.” Asami continued, laughing a bit at the end. Korra raised an eyebrow. She had? “I mean, finally being able to forgive him and him being... gone... have definitely had an impact as well, but I would've been fine with just having this room taken apart and turned into something else if I weren't in a relationship with you right now. You – _**we**_ – could actually use this space. And I feel like with you... regardless of whatever my father's motivations really were and the memories we shared here that he tainted, for once, I actually want to make some new ones in here. With you.” That smile. Korra recognized that smile immediately. It was the same smile Asami gave her 3 years ago before Jinora's ceremony, the smile Asami gave her when she promised that she'd be there if she ever wanted to talk, or “anything”. It was a brief, shy, loving, assuring smile. One that filled Korra with ease.

“...I'd be honored to.” Korra replied, smiling. “And I promise that the rest of them won't involve any cheating.” Asami laughed.

“Yeah, they better not.” She said, playfully shoving Korra from across the table. “Even if we aren't married yet, you're kind of already my family, you know?” She remarked after a brief moment of silence, Korra continuing to smile at her.

“Yeah, I know.” She said quietly, admiring the contented smile spread across her fiancee's lips. Once the city was back together again and everything finally settled back down for a bit, she'd make that girl hers. Forever. But she didn't need some fancy ceremony to be able to promise her that. As far as she was concerned, they were already more-or-less married, and there wasn't a person in the world who could tell or convince her otherwise. She was already living the life she was dreaming of. All that a wedding would do is make it official to the rest of the world, too.

As the two of them sat there a few minutes more, cooling down with the remainder of their water pitcher and letting their bodies rest, Asami checked the time. 7:58AM... she'd have to get up and get ready for work soon, ugh. If it were up to her, she'd stay and laze around with Korra for the rest of the day, and I guess technically, as CEO, it WAS up to her, but still – she had obligations to her company and her city to be there, she couldn't take a day off just because she wanted to. Not right now, at least. But, it wasn't as though Korra didn't have her own business to attend to while Asami was at work.

While the rest of the city cleaned up the Chi Eater's mess and moved on with their lives, Korra had taken it upon herself to finish the investigation into its origin on the behalf of the police, following up on any leads she could turn up from the spirits in order to try and figure out who'd corrupted the spirit and how, intent on making sure that nothing like the Chi Eater ever came into existence again. Even if it did happen over a thousand years ago, as the one that was tasked with solving problems like these, it'd probably be a good idea to have a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding it and its creation so future Avatars wouldn't be so woefully unprepared. Honestly, if she didn't know how to Energybend, she probably would've lost that fight within the first couple of seconds...

“Ugh, I really don't wanna go to work today...” Asami groaned, leaning back in her chair. A sentiment Korra shared. She didn't want Asami to go to work today, either.

“Welcome to my life. Doesn't really get any easier, does it?” The Avatar teasingly inquired.

“Oh, shut up.” Asami just-as-teasingly shot back. “Are you gonna try and visit me at work again today?” She asked, changing gears for a moment. Korra nodded. Good.

“We'll see how it goes, but yeah, I'd like to swing by if I don't get too caught up in things. Help you out with a little mid-day stress relief, if you catch my drift.” Korra yet again teased, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Oh spirits, was she being serious right now?

“Really, Korra? You want to do it _there_? You've got to be...” Asami asked, shaking her head.

“What? I was just going to bring you some lunch and give you a massage or something, what did you think I meant?” Oh god damn it, she knew exactly what Asami thought she meant. Korra laughed, amused with the annoyed look on the CEO's face. Perfect.

As the clock ticked 8 even, the music from the radio in the corner came to an end, the hourly news report taking its place and alerting both girls to the time. 45 minutes of sparring and then a 15 minute break... that should be sufficient, Korra thought. But, she wouldn't be going to go get cleaned up just yet – considering Asami's job was much more time-sensitive than Korra's was at the moment and she had to be at work by 9, she'd let her go up and use the shower first, especially since she tended to take so long in comparison to the young Avatar. She could hop in and out in 10 or 15 minutes no problem, but Asami took closer to 45, and if Korra went in fist, that'd be cutting it pretty close.

“You can go ahead and use the shower first, I have the luxury of being able to start my day a little bit later than you do.” Korra said, announcing her plan to her partner. Asami nodded in response, rubbing her chin as she thought it over.

“True. Althooough... we could just shower together, instead. I mean, it's more efficient for both of us that way, right?” Asami asked, giving her fiancee a coy smile, Korra smiling right back in turn. Now why didn't she think of that?

“Heh, sounds good to me.” She replied, standing up from her chair and quickly stretching out her back and arms, wincing a bit. Okay, so maybe she wasn't _completely_ healed – that slamming onto the mat seemed to have aggravated her shoulder injury from the Chi Eater battle, but she couldn't say she didn't have it coming. Asami, however, appeared to be feeling merciful today, offering to tend to her shoulder for her while they were in the shower. Not that Korra couldn't easily take care of that herself, but she appreciated the sentiment, and the way Asami tenderly cared for her and massaged her was just... yeah, she could definitely go for that right about now, especially with all of the stress the recent bouts with the press had been giving her.

 _“Breaking news!”_ ...Something which didn't seem to be letting up anytime soon, sadly, the news anchor's voice from over the radio catching Korra's attention before she and Asami could leave the room. Greeeeaaaat...

Given what was due this morning, Korra had a pretty good idea what that breaking news was going to be about: Kuvira. She knew that sentencing was due this morning – the Judge, Kesuk, having set the date just yesterday – but she still didn't expect it to be over so soon. Or, rather, she did expect it, but she was hoping it'd take a bit longer anyway, and that the judge and jury would weigh their options a bit more carefully. Given that the death penalty was on the table, Korra would've assumed that this would take longer than a week to decide. But, maybe that death sentence was as foregone a conclusion as Kuvira's guilt was after all. In a moment, she would know for sure.

 _“As we reported to you last night, despite the fact that proceedings had only ended a week ago, it was announced early yesterday evening that Judge Kesuk and the jury involved in the ongoing Kuvira trial had already reached a decision as to the fate of the would-be empress, scheduling her sentencing hearing for early this morning and moving things along at a greatly accelerated pace as compared to the slowdown caused by the 2 month vacation and recent return of Avatar Korra to Republic City. We've just received word that this hearing has now come to a close and a verdict has been reached!”_ Korra tensed. This was it, the moment of truth.

Asami looked over at the shorter girl with concern as she stood there, staring at the radio in the corner, listening closely to every word. Did this really mean that much to her? In all honesty, with everything that had happened, Asami wouldn't have minded watching her hang, either, but that was a discussion she and the Avatar had had at length months ago – she'd come around to Korra's position and had supported her every step of the way since then, hard as it may have initially been. The only question was, would everybody else? If this past week was any indication, the answer to that was no, but if they ruled in favor of sparing Kuvira's life... well, who knows what would happen, then.

 _“While it was initially assumed that a death sentence would be inevitable, in a shocking turn of events, Judge Kesuk has ruled in favor of a sentence of life imprisonment instead! After a last-minute testimony by Avatar Korra late last week condemning Kuvira's actions but standing in defense of her life, it would appear that her words have influenced a change in the hearts of those involved, ultimately swinging things back in favor of a less violent end to the once-called “Great Uniter”. While sure to be an unpopular one, Judge Kesuk has assured us that this decision is final, and that Kuvira will be remaining in her current cell at an undisclosed location off the coast of the United Republic to serve out the remainder of her sentence.”_ She was going to live?

Korra continued to stand there as the report went on, anything after that point fading into the background as it hit her what'd just happened. Had she actually managed to save Kuvira's life? Or was the judge always going to try and aim for a prison sentence in the end, regardless of popular opinion? As Asami placed her hand on her shoulder, Korra snapped out of her trance, looking back at the taller, smiling girl behind her.

“Looks like you did it after all.” She said. Korra smiled, somewhat unsure. Somehow, she got the feeling this was just the beginning of her fight. Now that Kuvira's life was being spared, not only was Korra probably going to start catching more flack from the parties that wanted her dead, but there were probably going to be attempts on Kuvira's life by those she'd wronged over the last 3 years. Which was why her exact location was kept remote and undisclosed, she supposed, but still. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little uneasy.

“Yeah... yeah, I guess I did.” Korra replied, her smiling growing a bit happier and more comfortable. Uneasiness aside, a victory was a victory. “Anyway... we should go take that shower, you're gonna be late if we don't get going soon.” She reminded, Asami nodding in agreement. Right – she had a business to run and a city to rebuild, she couldn't just stand around here in sweaty workout clothes forever.

As Asami cheerily led her through the house and up the stairs back into the master bathroom, Korra couldn't help but wonder what would happen now. The city was unstable enough as it was with the rampant property damage and Triad activity; would this decision just make things worse? It felt right, and deep down, Korra knew it _was_ right, but still... was sparing Kuvira's life some sort of a mistake? All these possibilities that'd never occurred to her before immediately began flooding her mind, her stress continuing to mount as much as it had all week, the brief euphoric rush of victory quickly departing her as Korra realized that her work really had only just begun. Kuvira may have been defeated and the now-separate Earth Territories may have been remarkably stable, but the world was still far from being back in balance... there was a lot of healing yet to be done.

“Don't worry about it.” Asami said, plucking Korra out of her thoughts as they reached their destination. How did she...? “You were making that face again.” She explained with a very “I told you so” look as she nonchalantly began stripping down. She'd been TRYING to tell Korra that she had a “thinking” face, but she never really believed her. It would certainly explain what otherwise seemed like telepathy, though... “But like I said, don't worry about it,” She continued, turning on the water and then facing her fiancee, who was now finding it difficult to keep her gaze anywhere else. “You're the Avatar. You can handle it, right?” She asked. After a moment, Korra smiled confidently.

“Right.” She replied. She definitely could. Asami smiled back.

“Good. Now, are you going to join me or just watch?” Korra's face turned red again. Oops. She _was_ kind of just staring again, wasn't she?

“Do you even need to ask?” Korra wondered, taking off her shirt.

***** *** *** *** *** *** *****

To call the present situation awkward would be the understatement of the century.

How long had it been since the two of them had been together like this, just sitting quietly across from one another? 3 years, maybe? Since the beginning of the Red Lotus fiasco, at least. To be perfectly honest, Kuvira was surprised to see her here at all right now. She'd given her sister the excuse of “Just wanting to make sure Kuvira didn't try anything”, but the once-great “uniter” knew her better than that. If there was one thing that Suyin Beifong valued above all else, it was family – her family. And given all that Kuvira had done to break that apart, she couldn't help but question her motives, if maybe she didn't want to try and put her in the ground herself, or at least personally throw her in her cell; a final disavowal of her existence now that execution was off the table.

It was the moments like these made Kuvira wish that the Avatar hadn't interfered. She was sure that Korra thought she was doing the right thing, but in all honesty, Kuvira would have much rather died than have to continue living with what she'd done. To have to constantly see reminders of what she'd lost like this, like _her_. She'd begun thinking that maybe her death would've been a positive thing for the world, that maybe it would be better off if she just stopped being in it. It'd certainly have been easier, from her perspective. But it looked as though that wouldn't be the case now, not unless she starved herself to death slowly, or somebody was both stupid enough to try and kill her themselves and lucky enough to actually get it done. And who knows, with everything she did? As many people whose lives she'd ruined? The latter may actually end up being pretty plausible.

But the fact of the matter was that it was over now. All of it. Her ambitions had been put to an end, her trial had finished, and her connection with Su and her family was irrevocably destroyed. What made it hurt more was that, once upon a time, Kuvira was almost considered a part of that family. Almost, but not quite. Su never could take that last step, it seemed; to formally adopt her and to take her in as her own. She gave her a place to stay and taught her how to Metalbend, yes, but Kuvira always wanted more than just a mentor. She wanted a mother. And for a long time, she kind of looked up to Su as that, but it seemed to her as though that street only went one way. As grateful as she may have once been for what Su _had_ given her, she was resentful for what she hadn't.

As the boat in which she was being transported bobbed over a little wave, the rattling of the platinum cuffs around her hands and feet pulled her from out of her mind and back into reality, the sudden shifting of her eyes from a downward gaze drawing the attention of Lin's to her right. Apparently she thought she was going to do something, too. Kuvira couldn't really blame them. In the past, she would've been way too strong-willed to sit idly by and let them take her alive like this, but that wasn't her anymore. That will had been broken months ago.

“I'm not going to do anything.” She said, the Chief of Police looking somewhat surprised to hear her talk. Kuvira hadn't spoken once throughout the entire trial process; so far as Lin knew, she hadn't said a single word in months. Was Su's presence here throwing her off? Or was she finally taking the chance to speak now that everything was over? “That's what you're thinking, right? That's why she's here, staring at me, isn't it?” Kuvira asked, directing her gaze over to Suyin, situated in the center of the seat straight across from her and flanked by two Metalbending Officers. She hadn't stopped staring at Kuvira since she sat down. It was obvious what she was thinking.

“Let's just say I know better than to take my eyes off of you now.” Su began, venom in her words. “I made that mistake once before and it led to an all-out war with the United Republic and my son becoming a war criminal.” Kuvira laughed. She couldn't help it. The way she said it, the tone in her voice... somehow, she just found it amusing. The hatred that Su felt for her. It was as apparent as it was familiar – she'd seen that kind of disgust on dozens of faces over the last few years. She didn't care about her anymore, did she?

“Bataar and I both never saw ourselves as criminals. We were just trying to do what we thought was right by whatever means we thought we had to. In hindsight, maybe we didn't go about it in the best way, but what else could we have done? The Avatar was gone and _somebody_ needed to step up and grab the bull pig by the horns.” Kuvira explained, not that it was even necessary. Everybody already knew where Kuvira stood in all of this, why she did what she did, even if she hadn't said a word in 2 months. She didn't have to explain it now just as she didn't have to explain it during her trial, so why was she taking the time to? Let alone to somebody who already knew all about her flimsy justifications?

“How you two saw yourselves doesn't change the fact that my son is going to be spending the next three decades of his life behind bars because of you. Two, if he's lucky. His life is over now because of what you did. Your ends _never_ justified your means.” Su refuted, the look in Kuvira's eyes softening at the mention of Bataar Jr.'s sentence. She thought she'd heard something about him getting a lighter sentence... 30 years, huh? Harsh, but for what he was involved in, he got off easy, she supposed. They never really gave him the threat of the death penalty, all he had to worry about was a life sentence, and while it seemed he'd be spending a good chunk of his in prison, it wasn't going to be all of it. Admittedly, she was relieved to hear it. He shouldn't have had to pay the same price she did for her mistakes.

“Yeah. I guess they didn't.” Kuvira replied, clearly uninterested in continuing that line of discussion and shifting her focus to Suyin and Bataar Jr., instead. She just sat through 2 months of people talking about her failed attempt at reunification, that was more than enough. So long as Su was here, Kuvira wanted to speak more personally.

“But, at least Bataar has a chance of bouncing back from all of this, unlike me. I'm just a lost cause, right? I mean, that's what you called me during my trial, isn't it?” She asked. Su's eyes narrowed. “Oh don't look so surprised. My guards listen to that damn radio of theirs almost 24/7, I'm well aware of the details surrounding my trial and everybody's testimony, just as I'm aware of that whole Chi Eater mess you had to deal with last week. At least that one's not my fault.” The former security captain shrugged, taking solace in the fact that at least her attack didn't piss off the spirits. Well, okay, it did, but not enough for them to go on a killing spree over it, at least.

“ _That_ remains to be seen.” Su spat back, Kuvira almost wincing from the blow. To lie to her so directly like that... Su knew as well as the press did that the Chi Eater was an independent issue, she was just intent on seeing Kuvira writhe. She couldn't blame her. “And don't you _dare_ speak about my son as if you care about him after everything you did. You almost killed him! It's bad enough I have to see him locked away for what could be the rest of my life, but to know he might never trust anyone like that again because of you... I've never seen him so empty before. He genuinely seemed to have loved you, somehow. But who am I kidding, since when have you understood love, loyalty and compassion?” Even Lin winced at that one. Kuvira's expression sunk almost instantly, her eyes glancing back down for the first time since she'd spoken up.

No... no, he was different.

“I did a lot of things I'm not proud of and I made a lot of sacrifices that I didn't want to, but that... that was probably my biggest mistake. At the time, I thought I had no other choice but to sacrifice my happiness – him – for the sake of my people. I was wrong, and I've regretted that decision since day one. Everything else I can live with, but losing him...” Kuvira stopped herself there. Like Su cared. Her mind was made up about this months ago. “Well, let's just say you're not the only one disappointed to not see a death penalty, today.” She finished, looking back up at her former mentor. If she didn't know any better, Su could almost swear she saw some regret in those eyes.

“Please, don't give me that. I know how you are. You don't have regrets, you never have. You always went above and beyond with everything you did, sometimes to frightening extremes. I'm just disappointed I hadn't seen this sooner, that I hadn't stopped you sooner. Maybe if I had, things could have turned out differently and I'd still have my son.” Again, Kuvira's cool facade cracked, amused laughter escaping her lips.

“What, no room for me in your little fantasy of what could've been?” She asked. “You couldn't have stopped me if you tried; you've always been a woman of half measures. You like to act like you're so wise and decisive, like you always know what's best, but when push comes to shove, you've never had it in you to commit to what you need to do, and it always comes back to bite you in the ass. You couldn't commit to leading your country when it could've used your guidance, you couldn't commit to stopping me when you had the chance back at the coronation, and you couldn't commit to personally taking care of the little 8-year-old girl you pulled in off the streets. Perhaps the only thing you _have_ committed to is constantly stroking that gigantic ego of yours.” The would've-been empress accused, rage filling Suyin's eyes as Kuvira's lips curled into a sadistic grin.

“ _Excuse me_? I did everything I could for you, Kuvira. I took you in as one of my own, I gave you everything you ever could have wanted, I nurtured your talents... for a time, I almost saw you as being like a daughter to me, and now you have the gall to blame _me_ for everything that happened? To accuse me of, what, not loving you enough? Well I'm sorry you feel that way, but I did everything in my power to help you and give you the opportunity to grow and to be the best that you could be. _You_ were the one who threw all of that away, not me.” Su defended. Kuvira, however, remained unconvinced, simultaneously amused by Su's frustration and enraged by her obstinacy. In the past, she'd have liked to try and patch things up with her old family, to try and make amends somehow, but they had proven time and again to have no interest in hearing her out anymore. She was done pulling punches, she was done holding her tongue, it was time Su understood how she _really_ felt.

“I know full well what I did, just as I know what you didn't. The only thing you ever took me in as was a citizen of Zaofu. Nothing more, nothing less. To you, I was no different from Varrick, or Aiwei, or that damn chef. Yes, you gave me a life and a second chance I might not otherwise have had and made sure that I had every opportunity to learn and grow as a dancer, a bender, a guard, but not as a person. _Never_ as a person. All you ever cared about was molding me into the perfect little protege, a mirror image of you, of your ambition. You're a hell of a mentor, Su, but you were never a mother – not to me. You say you thought of me as a daughter now, but I was never _really_ a part of your family. I could never be what they were to you. I could see it in your eyes, the way you looked at them compared to the way you looked at me...” Kuvira grit her teeth.

“You loved them, but me? I was never like a daughter to you, I was never a Beifong – I was just another exotic pet for you to show off to the rest of the world and brag about, another prized Metalbending prodigy for you to look at and remind yourself how great you are. But you're not, and I realized _that_ years ago.” She declared, her words equally as venomous and cutting as the Beifong's opening statement. Before she could even get the chance to interject, however, Kuvira continued with her verbal assault, finally seeing it fit to put her feelings on the table. Hell, it's not like she was going to get another chance. If she was going to burn whatever was left of this bridge, she was going to be thorough about it.

“I spent years of my life trying to emulate you, to please you, hoping that maybe you'd treat me like you treated them, but you never once seemed to care. So when Raiko and Tenzin came to Zaofu that day and I watched you abandon your country when it needed you most, I'd had enough of you feigning family and holding me back. So while you sat back and let your nation burn to the ground, I went in and built it back up stronger than ever, piece by piece. I spent 3 years of my life fixing the damage the Earth Queen and the Red Lotus did, and for what? Nothing! Everything I did, bad AND good, was undone in a day by that idiot prince! Yes, I was wrong in what I did, and I see that now, but at least I actually tried to do something, and of at least that much, I'm proud. Meanwhile, you get to add one more failure to your record you _can't_ so easily cover up: me. Because _spirits_ did you fail spectacularly at this one!”

Su and Lin both were speechless, the two officers to the right and left of the Zaofu leader exchanging an awkward glance as Kuvira let out a sigh, cracking her neck and returning to calm. Emotional outbursts like that were beyond rare from her, she must've been wanting to say all of that for years. Before either Beifong could collect themselves enough to say something, however, she spoke back up one more time, her typical steely demeanor having returned to her.

“Maybe you never thought it was your responsibility. To be my mother. But I was just a kid, Suyin. I was scared, alone and abandoned. You were all that I had. Whatever you thought of me, I genuinely looked up to you. Whether you want to admit it or not, one way or another, you're as responsible for everything that happened as I am, or at the very least, responsible for me. There is nothing I want more than to be able to turn back the clock and start all of this over again, to avoid this whole disaster, but I can't. What's done is done, what's lost is lost, and now I'm right back where I started. And I guess that's just where I'll have to stay forever.” And with that much, she'd made peace. Returning to silence, a few moments passed before Su finally spoke back up, those gathered curious to hear what she'd have to say.

“Are you finished now?” Su inquired with impatience, catching Lin off guard and hardening Kuvira's expression. How vicious.

“Su!” Lin shouted, her sister raising her hand to silence her. Kuvira may have been finished talking, but she wasn't.

“You're not actually feeling sorry for her, are you? Don't tell me you've already forgotten what she did to Republic City? To the Earth Territories?” She asked. Lin froze, looking down. She may have been family, but she only knew the stories secondhand. Regardless of whether or not she felt Su was being too harsh, this really wasn't any of her business. Besides, she DID have a point...

“Your past may explain your actions, but it doesn't excuse them, Kuvira. Maybe I did fail you. Maybe I could have done more. Maybe I even could've stopped you and curbed some of that ambition of yours before it consumed you. Or, maybe nothing I could've done would've been enough and we'd still be sitting here having this same exact discussion for the same exact reasons. And I'm sorry that we're here now. I really am. I genuinely did care for you. I saw a lot of myself in you, and you can make whatever you want of that, but the fact of the matter is that I tried, Kuvira. But you made your choice. You brought all of this on yourself.” Kuvira remained stonefaced, listening in silence as her former master talked. Whatever it was she was thinking, her face wasn't talking.

“You can convince yourself of whatever you want, but you chose how you reacted to the hand you were dealt, and your choice was to lash out at everyone around you. To become a dictator and to force your idea of stability on your people in a misguided attempt to give them a sense of security you never had, even despite my best efforts. You called me a woman of half measures, and maybe you're right. Maybe I could've benefited from being a bit more firm with some of my decisions and committing more to some of what I started. But I can assure you this, Kuvira. I have no more half measures in regards to you. What you have done to my family is unforgivable, and for what you did to your nation and the United Republic, you should probably be hanged. You should thank the Avatar if she ever goes to visit you. As for me? I'm done. I don't ever want to see you again.” Su concluded, her words as sad and disappointed as they were angry, the bitter look on the woman's face almost enough to get Kuvira to react. Lin certainly did.

While the Police Chief showed some concern for her younger sister and placed her hand on her shoulder in a show of support, Kuvira simply sighed. She knew how this was going to go from the beginning, but she didn't care. The situation was already irreparable and she was tired of holding back her frustration at that and everything else. All that was left to do now was to be honest, apologize and move on, however much she could.

“Very well. I knew from the start that there was no repairing this rift. I dug my grave three years ago and I'm fully content with lying in it, I just thought I'd give you a bit of a better understanding why before I did. Even despite everything I've said and the fact that I do blame you for at least some of what's happened, I really am sorry, Su, for everything, whether you accept that apology or not. Either way, there's really nothing more I can do. And I guess there never was.” Kuvira conceded.

“No. No, I guess there wasn't.” Su replied, the two women falling silent for the last time as the prison boat drew nearer to its destination. Any minute now, she'd be back in that wooden cell to spend the rest of her life listening to the sea and keeping tabs on the outside from the sound of a muffled radio. Sparing her former mentor one last look before she turned away, the regret in her emerald eyes was honest and true, but whatever flame may have burned behind them 2 months ago, it had long since been snuffed out. There was no use kicking and screaming over what could never be. She just had to suck it up and accept things for what they were now. Besides, like she'd said, it's not like Suyin ever really gave her what she thought she needed, anyway, right? So then... why did it still hurt so much?

Jostling a bit as the boat came to a stop, Kuvira closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and preparing herself as Lin, Suyin and the Metalbending Officers who had accompanied them stood up, opening her eyes and exhaling as she, too, got up from her seat, an officer grabbing each arm as the door was opened and the sunlight shone through the doorway, nearly blinding her. This was it. Her final transfer. At least she finally had a chance to say her piece before they threw away the proverbial key. Or, not so proverbial, as it happened. Whatever the case, she was ready now, walking forward without resistance or sound as Republic City's finest led her off the boat, up the stairs and onto a large wooden platform situated in the middle of the sea, an equally wooden cell with which she'd grown very familiar waiting for her in its center.

She found it ironic that she'd be spending the rest of her life in a cell modeled after one of the former prisons of a core member of the very group that spurred her into action in the first place, but she had to admit, whether it was built with her specifically in mind or not, it was a pretty effective place to hold an Earthbender of her caliber. There wouldn't be any way out of here unless somebody from the outside brought in some Earth or bendable Metal of their own, just like Ghazan. But unlike Ghazan, she didn't have any allies left waiting in the wings to break her out, she'd burned all those bridges months ago. All she had left now was whoever was mad enough to try and break in and take her out themselves, and that, she imagined, was probably a pretty long list.

Escorted into the central structure, as the platinum chains around her hands and feet were undone, Kuvira rubbed her wrists where they once clasped around them, looking back over her shoulder to give one more glance to Suyin and her sister as they closed and locked the wooden cell door behind her, the look in each of their eyes paying the other a final, silent goodbye before the Metalbending prodigy turned her head back around, closed her eyes, and simply sat down in the middle of her cage. There were no more words to be shared.

As Su turned and walked away without a word, content to have seen the one who tore her family apart finally locked away for good, Lin lingered on, if only for a moment, staring cryptically at the former empress-to-be and then walking off, leaving her well and truly alone with her thoughts and the Waterbending guards assigned to watch over her and her prison platform.

It was going to be a long rest of her life.

***** *** *** *** *** *** *****

If there was one thing Bolin didn't expect to be woken up by, it was the scent of a home-cooked meal. Not only because neither he or his brother were terribly good at cooking anything and they didn't really have a mom or anyone around to cook for them, but also because so far as he knew, his girlfriend was adhering to a strictly vegetarian diet along with all the other Airbenders, and from what his nose could detect, there was most definitely some meat cooking in the next room over. “Nn... Opal...?” He groggily asked, rubbing his eyes as he sat up on the edge of his bed dressed only in a pair of boxers, looking over at his brother's still-made bed and then back to his own, messy and unkempt from the night before and missing its second occupant. How long had she been up?

Standing up and stretching out his back and arms with a yawn, he reached down onto the floor for a plain white tee he'd thrown off last night, slipping it on and sliding open the door that separated his and his brother's bedroom from the remainder of the apartment. Immediately looking in the direction of the kitchen area to his left, he found himself greeted by a still half-naked young woman putting the finishing touches on what looked to be a very delicious breakfast, the jazzy sound of his and the rest of Team Avatar's favorite radio station playing an amusingly situation-appropriate tune as he stood there in a moment of subtle awe, his face belying the true extent to which he was marveling at the sight before him.

Reaching for his right arm, he pinched himself, letting out a quick yelp as he confirmed he wasn't dreaming and that this was, in fact, happening right now, a yelp that caught the attention of the girl who until that point had been unaware that he was awake, her back having been turned to him as she finished putting the food onto their plates. Turning her head to look at him, her face almost immediately lit up once their eyes met, Opal giving the boy a warm smile as she turned to face him completely and set the two plates onto the table in front of the couch, approaching him and wrapping her arms around the back of his neck as she leaned in for a short kiss to greet the day. He may not have been dreaming, but this was about as close to a dream come true as Bolin had ever had.

“Good morning.” She smiled after breaking the kiss she'd initiated, her arms still hung around the back of her boyfriend's neck and shoulders. Bolin hadn't really moved since she began walking toward him, just standing straight in a sort of daze as she kissed him hello, his green eyes locked onto her own. He should probably say something back to her.

“...I love you...” He affirmed, Opal laughing at the way he said it. “...I mean, uh, good morning.” He corrected. He was supposed to think the statement of love and speak the morning wishes, not the other way around, but he wasn't exactly at the top of his game right now. Not that he wasn't just going to tell her he loved her later on, anyway, probably multiple times. I mean, he was practically chanting it last night. He could really get used to this whole “Brother not around” thing. Granted, it was only until he finished closing the Chi Eater case and the night's premiere reattempt was all wrapped up, so he'd probably have to go back to sleeping alone by tomorrow night, but still. If this was what it was like moving in with somebody you loved, he could really get used to it. No wonder Korra and Asami seemed so happy lately, this was great!

“I love you too. I made you breakfast today.” She announced, Bolin seamlessly slipping out of his stupor and into the conversation, giving the girl of his dreams a smile equally as warm as hers as he continued to keep his eyes focused squarely on her.

“Yeah, I could smell that.” He replied. “Gotta say, not the worst thing to wake up to in the morning. I didn't know you were allowed to eat meat, though; I thought Airbenders only ate from the vegetarian menu.” Opal gave the boy a more knowing smile than the warm, welcoming one she'd worn a moment ago. In truth, that was mostly just a rule while in the Air Temples – the new Air Nation had been a lot less strict about some of the old customs and traditions due to all of the new Airbenders being largely unfamiliar with and/or unwilling to adapt to another culture's practices as their own.

“Actually, that's mostly just a rule in the Air Temples, I've just never been that much of a meat eater. I know you are though, and I'll make a few exceptions every now and then...” Opal explained. What Tenzin didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right? I mean, it's not like Bolin was gonna rat her out or anything, not that it really mattered one way or another.

“Well, looks like I just found a few new dinner date options...” He mused, sitting down onto the couch with his girlfriend, the two of them instinctively pulling their bodies close as Bolin pulled their table a little bit closer. It'd be nice to have a more proper place to sit down and eat, but space was at a premium in here – this apartment was about as much as he and his brother could afford on a cop's salary, and even then, it was only as big as it was because of Bolin's leftover mover money. They probably wouldn't have been able to make rent if the both of them weren't working right now, though Bolin happened to have had the week off to finish recovering from the injuries he'd sustained during the Chi Eater battle. Which, as of last night, he had, something he and Opal had thoroughly celebrated. Republic City's healers really were something.

“So, are you excited for the mover premiere tonight? Or... re-premiere, I guess. The last one didn't go so well in the end, but I thought it was pretty fun! At least up until the big black spirit broke through the wall, anyway.” Bolin asked, his usual manner of frank, meandering speech keeping a smile stretched across Opal's lips like always. She really loved listening to Bolin talk, he always had a way of making even the most mundane questions and topics somehow amusing and engaging.

“Actually I kind of am, yeah. We never did get to see the end of it, and it stopped right when the big chase scene had started! I was really looking forward to that...” The young Beifong pouted. “I'm glad they decided to hold it again. With any luck, there won't be any interruptions this time around. I also heard it's going to be shown twice in a row because the venue is smaller?” She asked, Bolin nodding along as he scarfed down the wooly-pig bacon his girlfriend had made for him.

“Yeah, though we, Ryuuki and the rest of the VIPs are only going to attend the first showing.” He elaborated as he finished chewing, swallowing at the end of his first statement and then taking a second to drink some water before continuing. “After that, Varrick and I picked out a venue to hold an after party. That guy knows ALL the best places around here, did you know that? There was even this one club he took me to after the premiere of one of my movers, where... uh... um...” Glancing nervously to his left at the girl listening to his story, Bolin came to an awkward pause, Opal raising an eyebrow and tilting her head. Was something wrong? “...Things... were happening... that probably won't be happening at this one... but still! It's gonna be a blast!” ...Just what kind of club did Varrick take him to?

“'Things', huh?” Opal asked, unconvinced, her boyfriend sweating bullets. “You _do_ know that I'm not going to get mad at you for anything you did before we were a couple, right?” She inquired, confirming her stance on the matter. Which Bolin already knew, he guessed, but still, it was kinda awkward for him to talk about that sort of thing with Opal if it didn't involve her, and he was afraid her knowing would give her the wrong impression of him – he had no idea where he was going until he got there. But, she wasn't going to press him if he didn't want to talk about it, she already had a decent idea already. After all, she knew Varrick about as well as Bolin did, so if she had to guess, he probably went and dragged Bolin to a strip club or something. It wasn't really that big of a deal, but she could understand why he wouldn't want her to know that.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, but, you know, it's just...” He stumbled. What was he trying to say again? “Oh, whatever. Point is, we have a lot to celebrate! The success of the mover, the donation to the city, the defeat of the Chi Eater, Kuvira's sentencing – today's gonna be a good day, I can feel it! ...Or maybe that's just gas...” Opal laughed. That's right... Kuvira's sentencing was due this morning, wasn't it? She'd heard about it on the news last night; they'd come to a decision pretty quickly given the kind of case it was, but, given how gung-ho the press had been about the whole thing, that was to be expected, she thought. The only thing there was to deliberate was whether or not Kuvira would live or die.

As Bolin and Tenzin both already knew, Opal was very much of the opinion that an example should be made of Kuvira, not only for the sake of the now fully independent Earth Territories, but for the sake of her family, as well, so admittedly, she was kind of hoping to see her die. In her eyes, that would give her closure, making sure that Kuvira could never hurt anybody else ever again. For Opal, much like her mother, there was no room for forgiveness or hope for redemption, there was just a monster, one who would gladly do it all again if she could. It sickened her. But as of today, it would all be over. Permanently. And that? Yeah. That was definitely cause for celebration.

“Yeah, I guess you're right.” She smiled. “I guess there's a lot to celebrate after all.” Bolin smiled back. There's the smile he fell in love with. But, unfortunately, it was not one he would get to enjoy for very long. Finishing their breakfast together in peace, once the clock struck 9 and the music came to an end, so too did their dream-like morning, the news report they'd been waiting for prompting Opal to get up and turn up the radio, something Bolin would later wish she'd never done.

_“...slated to re-premiere tonight at 8. And now on to our top story: Infamous war criminal and would-be dictator Kuvira has been sentenced to life imprisonment at an undisclosed location off the coast of the United Republic! This decision came as a shock to all the Earth Territories earlier this morning as it was announced by Judge Kesuk that the death penalty would not be carried out in what was previously thought to be an open-and-shut case. When pressed for further information regarding the reasoning of his and jury's decision in the matter and whether or not the Avatar's infamous testimony in the defense of her life had any sway over their positions, Judge Kesuk offered no comment, stating only that they had weighed their options and that their decision was final.”_

Watching the smile fade from Opal's face was like watching a bird fall from the sky. In an instant, the mood had all changed, Opal stunned silent as Bolin looked on in anxious concern, half reaching out for her shoulder before pulling his arm back, neither of them sure what to say, or do. All they could do was listen.

_“Protest immediately erupted outside the courthouse as the crowd gathered at its steps first caught wind of the controversial sentence, Metalbending officers immediately needing to jump into action and form a line to keep angry protestors from breaking through and attacking Kuvira or Judge Kesuk as a visibly disappointed Chief of Police – accompanied by her sister and two officers – escorted the would-be empress into the back of a police truck to be taken to the coast and transferred permanently to a reportedly wooden cell. Latest reports indicate that as of 15 minutes ago, at 8:45 on the dot, Kuvira has been permanently detained, thus bringing the nearly 2-and-a-half month long trial of the so-called “Great Uniter” to a close and putting her reign of terror to a bloodless but no-less permanent end.”_

Opal grit her teeth, fists clenching as rage hit her like she hadn't felt since that woman made off with her family. All this time and everything that woman did, the lives she'd taken and destroyed, the cities she'd leveled, all the fear and chaos she'd helped inspire... all of that, and she lives? Of all people, _Kuvira_ lives? How? How could something so obvious end up so... wrong?

_“Hang on – we are now receiving word that the Avatar is making an announcement in regards to the situation. We will now patch this broadcast over to a live feed:”_

...Korra. Well, wouldn't this be interesting? As Opal's expression grew angrier, Bolin's grew more helpless. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place. As much as he cared for and sympathized with Opal, he also cared for Korra and understood where she was coming from. She was the Avatar, she was about keeping balance, not exacting vengeance. It was her duty to seek the least violent option whenever possible and to keep the peace, not kill whatever enemy she happened to come across; not if she felt there was another way.

While Avatar Aang simply couldn't bring himself to take a life, for Korra, it was more like she just didn't want to, and Bolin got that. She thought she and Kuvira were kind of similar and that maybe she could change, so she hadn't given up hope. There was no way she was just going to let her die. But Opal... honestly, until Kuvira, Bolin never knew she had such a dark side to her. He'd never seen anybody rile her up this much before or since Kuvira's departure and ultimate defeat. The anger that she felt... he could only imagine how much Kuvira must've hurt her to create such hatred. There was only so much she could explain to him. In the end, it was still a very personal matter.

_“Avatar Korra, Hao Wai, from the Republic City Chronicler. Your defense of Kuvira came under harsh criticism this past week, and many feared that as the Avatar, your opinion, whatever it may be, could end up swaying the decision of the court in your favor regardless of whether or not it set the right precedent. Now that that it has been announced that Kuvira will live and spend the rest of her life in prison, how do you respond to these criticisms? Is it true that you bullied the court into changing its stance from one of certain death to leniency?”_

_“What? No! I just gave my testimony like everybody else. What the court decided was up to them, not me, but I wasn't going to go up there and lie and say that I think she should be put to death for her crimes when I don't. What she did was terrible, unforgivable even, there's no denying that, and I'm not asking anybody to forgive her. But killing her isn't the answer, it's not going to solve anything. You mentioned something about “setting the right precedent”, well I think this decision does exactly that. Killing somebody after the fact isn't justice, it's revenge. Kuvira willingly surrendered and took responsibility for her actions. Killing her now isn't just unnecessary, it's wrong. We managed to end this fight peacefully... do you really want to go back and finish it like she would've? Personally, I think we're better than that.”_

_“Avatar Korra, Mimi Hara, United Republic Today. Now that the death penalty is off the table, what do you plan to do with Kuvira from here? Will you be visiting her at all during her sentence? Or Bataar Beifong Jr., for that matter?”_

_“I would like to speak with them if they'll have me, yeah. As the Avatar, it's my job to keep balance in the world, but I... haven't always done the best job at that. I mean, it was my time recovering after the Red Lotus that caused Kuvira to act in the first place. But during my recovery, I think I came to understand something, and that's that balance comes from within, on an individual level, not on some gigantic, worldwide scale. I mean... sometimes, yeah, there are threats like that which need to be taken care of, but every time, all of these problems are created by people or forces who are out of balance. Amon wanted equality but had nothing to balance out his ideals, no morals or limitations. The Red Lotus wanted freedom, but they had no rules and nothing to balance out theirs or the rest of the world's destructive tendencies. Kuvira's no different, and I think we can all learn from her mistakes. And, if she's willing to listen... I'd like to try and help her find balance. That way, maybe she can finally find some peace, too.”_

She couldn't take it anymore – enough was enough. With a click, the radio turned off, Opal simply standing there, frozen, her head looking down as her hand remained affixed to the dial, Bolin looking more concerned than ever. “...Opal?” He meekly asked.

“...I should've known...” She quietly began, practically shaking. Bolin looked confused, though he had an idea what she was about to say next. “Of all people... I should've known that _she_ would be the last person to understand.” He knew it. She was blaming Korra. He was beginning to wish that she'd never turned that radio on and that they'd never learned the verdict, but she was bound to find out eventually. He just wished it wasn't doomed to end so badly.

“Opal...” What could he even say? Bolin wasn't very good with people at the best of times, but this? How was he supposed to react? A part of him didn't want to have anything to do with this, but that wasn't an option. Opal was his girlfriend and Korra was his best friend, and regardless of whether he wanted to be or not, he was right smack dab in the middle of this. He knew he probably wasn't the best guy for the job, but he couldn't stand seeing her think and feel like this... she had to understand what Korra's motivations were here, right? Where she was coming from? “Opal, you know that's not true, of course Korra understands! It's just...” He began, trailing off a little as he tried to think of how best to phrase what it was he was thinking. Before he could figure it out, however, Opal capitalized on his pause, interrupting him.

“Just what, Bolin? Did you forget what Kuvira did to the Earth Nation? To Republic City? To my family? She has done nothing but destroy, and Korra wants to help her “find peace”? Who cares! She's not supposed to find peace, she's not supposed to be happy, she's supposed to suffer! To be punished!” Opal exclaimed. Bolin's face grew more concerned. That almost sounded like something Lin would say...

“But that's why she's in prison though. Nobody's saying she shouldn't be punished, but if she wants to repent and change, shouldn't she have the chance to do that? Just, you know, while being kept far, far away from everybody else?” Bolin wondered. He wasn't sure about the suffering part, but... the lifetime of caged isolation could technically count, right? Knowing what she'd done, what she'd lost? But Opal shook her head.

“No. She lost that right a long time ago.” She coldly replied. “In my opinion, she should either be thrown into the deepest, darkest hole imaginable and left to rot, or she should be dead. That's it. She doesn't deserve mercy, or pity. She sure never showed it to anyone else.” Bolin winced. That _definitely_ sounded like something Lin would say. It seemed to be a family trait, from Bolin's experience. Beifongs did _not_ take kindly to traitors, or to those who hurt the ones they loved.

“Opal, listen to yourself, you know that's not right. I know you hate Kuvira for what she did to your family, but they're all safe now. Can't you just... let her go?” Bolin asked. Opal grunted in frustration. This was not a fight she wanted to be having right now. Not with Bolin, anyway. The last thing she wanted was she and him being on bad terms because of Kuvira. Again. This whole thing was very personal for her; she didn't expect him to understand and it would've been unfair of her if she did. But at the same time, she didn't need him trying to calm her down or convince that her she was somehow in the wrong about all of this right now, regardless of whether or not he was right.

“Look, I get what you're trying to do, Bolin, but stop. I know that Korra's your friend and that you don't exactly share my opinion on Kuvira, and I know you don't like seeing me get worked up like this, but please. This isn't a fight I want to have with you.” She begged. “Please. Not you. Not right now.” She was _not_ in a good mood anymore. The last thing she wanted was for him to trip up and say something that just completely set her off. It was the last thing Bolin wanted, too. He didn't like her thinking like this, but... there wasn't really much he could do. He'd tried several times over the last couple of months to soften her way of thinking to no avail, as had Tenzin, but whatever had happened between Opal and Kuvira, it really hurt her.

She always blamed it on what Kuvira did to her family, but... Bolin wasn't that dumb. He knew Opal better than that and that there was something deeper going on here, but he also knew he wasn't the right person to try and dig in and find out what that was right now. Not that he'd ever want to do that. If she didn't feel comfortable enough sharing something with him, he didn't want to force it out of her or go around her back to figure it out. He just wished it wasn't hurting her so bad.

“Okay.” Bolin said simply, giving her a big hug. “Just, please don't take it out on Korra too much. Even I know there's more to this than you're letting on, but whatever's going on with you and Kuvira, Korra's just trying to do what she thinks is right.” He requested. Opal looked down. She knew that. But what she thought was right and what Korra thought was right were two very different things in this case and she wasn't about to back down now. She knew better than anyone what kind of a monster Kuvira really was. Unfortunately, Korra didn't, and Opal knew that Korra that wouldn't be one to back down from this, either. But at the very least, she could try and honor her boyfriend's wishes.

Sighing, Opal gave in to Bolin, hugging her boyfriend back. “Okay.” She stated almost beneath her breath, knowing it wasn't entirely genuine. She knew this wasn't Korra's fault, not completely, but she certainly wasn't helping things. Tonight was going to be interesting, to say the least... she and Asami would be attending the mover and its after party, as well. She imagined they'd end up butting heads at one point or another, and who knew how that'd turn out; from her perspective, an all-out fight between the two of them over the fate of Kuvira may very well be inevitable. Bolin, however, seemed to trust the young Beifong and took her words at face value, accepting her confirmation and breaking the hug with a smile, one she weakly returned.

“Good. Now, enough about Kuvira – we still have the rest of the day to ourselves, so let's make the most of it before the premiere!” He suggested. Opal nodded. That sounded pretty good to her, to be honest. It's not as though she _liked_ dwelling on this stuff. The way she looked at it, if anybody could drag her out of this funk and help her forget about Kuvira for a while, it'd be Bolin. I mean, he'd done it before. Maybe he wasn't an emotional savant, but he knew how to cheer her up and make her day, and that was just as important. She could certainly hope so, anyway. She was going to need him now more than ever.

“Yeah...” She said, eyes cast downward as she continued to mull it over in her head. At the very least, she would try. Looking back up to Bolin, Opal closed her eyes, tilting her head and smiling a bit more honestly than she was before, putting Korra and Kuvira out of her mind for now and focusing instead on the rest of the day ahead of her. She could deal with all of this later. “Yeah, let's.”

***** *** *** *** *** *** *****

“Well, that could've gone better.” Korra thought aloud, huffing in relief as she slumped into a park bench, her left arm draped lazily over the side and her head tilted upward as she stared up at the clear blue sky, finally finished after a 45 minute round of post-trial questioning by Republic City's whiniest. Run-ins with the press like those were always a less-than-ideal-but-sadly-necessary part of being a modern Avatar, a routine malaise she'd been readjusting to for the last week-and-a-half after a good 3 years free of its tiringly neurotic clutches.

But, that was what she got for publicly taking an unpopular stance, she supposed. People were naturally going to want to try and get inside her head and understand why she would do something so socially suicidal and get an idea of how she ticked, if not try and find some sort of fault in her reasoning they could run with and exploit for one reason or another. After all, everybody wanted to be able to say they knew better than the Avatar, and it could be pretty profitable if you actually did. But she was pretty sure in what she was doing this time around. This wasn't her first rodeo with the press, and even if it had been a while, she knew she was in the right here.

Her job was to keep the peace and maintain balance, and the fact that so many people were clamoring for a death penalty was, in her opinion, a perfect example of the kind of imbalance she was meant to correct. That just couldn't be right, could it? Vengeance as justice? Granted, there were some pretty extraordinary cases where it very well could be the best option, but if at all possible, people should want to avoid something so ghoulish, right? After what'd happened with Unalaq and her father, she'd begun seeing the flaws with such a punishment. Not only did she find it morally questionable in a case like Kuvira's, but mistakes and corruption remained valid arguments against it liable to land innocent people in unfair and irreversible sentences.

She'd spent so much of her career as an active Avatar fighting threats with faces, this was the first time she actually had to tackle one that was a bit more social than it was physical. She couldn't punch and kick and bend her way to balance, this time. But that was okay. Honestly, she'd take this over another Amon, Unalaq, Zaheer or Kuvira any day. Fun as it was to fight, it was exhausting, to say the least, and she'd be lying if she said the whole thing with Zaheer didn't still bother her from time to time. The idea of affecting a change on a social level without having to throw a single punch was a breath of fresh air, and actually kind of exciting. She just wished it didn't involve so much press time. _That_ was a pain in the ass.

“Maybe, but personally, I thought you handled yourself rather well.” Korra leaped the second the deep, rich voice rumbled over the ambience of the park named in her honor, recently reopened largely due to the efforts of the one now speaking to her. When did he show up?

“Oh, Ravi, it's you,” Korra laughed, placing her hand over her chest and catching her breath as she realized who it was. He almost gave her a heart attack. “Come to admire your handiwork?” She jokingly asked, motioning for the tall, dark-skinned man to come sit down next to her. She hadn't really had the chance to talk to him all that much yet since she got back, let alone thank him for his work in the park and lightening the load over at Future Industries for Asami. He was a large part of the reason the two of them got to spend so much time together in the first place.

“Something like that.” He replied with a chuckle, taking a seat next to her. “I just finished overseeing the construction of the western gate and the installation of the last two Water Tribe-inspired sculptures, so my work here officially done now. I figured I may as well take a moment to relax before I headed off to the next project and happened to see you sitting at a bench in front of your own statue. Some people may call that conceited, you know.” Ravi teased.

“As if, it just happened to be the first open bench I saw.” That was her story, and she was sticking with it. Though, now that he'd mentioned it and she actually took a closer look, that _was_ a pretty spot-on statue... she'd heard that Asami had overseen its construction while she was recovering and that it'd survived Kuvira's attack on the city completely unscathed, but nobody had ever really mentioned how detailed it was before. Further testament to her genius, she supposed, never mind her attention to detail and alarmingly intimate knowledge of Korra's body, even back then. “Asami told me you planned to have this place open again within a week. I have to admit, I'm kind of surprised you actually managed to get it done.” She marveled, complimenting him.

“You're not the only one. Some poor volunteer from a neighboring territory tried betting against me when I started and lost 100 yuans. The workers at Future Industries know better.” Ravi remarked. Whenever he set his mind to doing something by a set date, it almost always ended up getting done on time. Well, unless something like the Chi Eater ended up coming in and complicating things, anyway, but how often did that happen? “But in all honesty, it wasn't that much work. It was mostly just cleanup and repairs with a few new sculpture installations and updates to some select areas; the park entrances, for example.” He explained. “A few Earth and Waterbenders and we had most of the heavy work done in the first 2 or 3 days.”

“Well, that's good. It's nice to see people coming back and hanging out around here again. I've even seen a few spirits around, though not as many as I'd have thought with the new Spirit Portal being so close...” She thought they'd have been coming back in drove now that the Chi Eater was gone, but apparently not. It worried her. She still had no idea who or what that second energy inside of the Chi Eater was or belonged to, and she and Mako had yet to turn up any new leads from what spirits they'd encountered in the city. They were definitely coming back, but there weren't as many as there used to be. Even Ravi had noticed.

“Mm, I agree. There do seem to be fewer spirits around than usual. But, Republic City's taken a number of hits lately, so perhaps it's to be expected and their faith in the city has been shaken somewhat. We're still dealing with the effects of Kuvira's attack and the Chi Eater was only just destroyed a week and a half ago. Give it time.” He assured. Korra nodded. He was probably right, but still, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing something, something just felt really off to her. She couldn't quite put her finger on it exactly, but something about the spirits that'd come back seemed... different, somehow. And then there was that night at theater... the more she thought about it, the more she wondered.

“You're probably right.” Korra sighed. “I just can't shake the feeling that I'm missing something, though, I just have no idea what. It's been eating at me all week, but I haven't really had the time to investigate it too much because of Kuvira's trial. Now that that's all taken care of though... I don't know. Something just feels very, very wrong and I can't put my finger on what or why.”

“Hmm. Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out.” Ravi reassured, placing his hand on Korra's shoulder. “The press has a habit of being especially harsh with you from what I've seen, but honestly, as Avatars go, I think you've done a pretty good job so far. You're only 21 years old, and already you've accomplished more in the span of 4 years than I'll probably accomplish in my entire life. And if your recent bouts with the press have proven anything to me, it's that not only are you powerful, but you are wise, as well, never mind compassionate. If you feel as though something is off, then I have the utmost faith that you will be able to figure out what that is and why.”

“Ravi...” Korra was speechless. Admittedly, she didn't know Ravi very well, but she never would've expected that sort of a pep talk from him. I mean, Asami had described him as a gentle giant, but still. He reminded her a bit of Asami, in some ways.

“It's not hard to see what Asami sees in you. Perhaps you should bring this up with her; she's pretty smart, too. With the two of you together, I'm sure you can figure something out.” He suggested.

“Maybe. I think I'm going to wait a little bit longer, though, see if I can't figure anything out for myself first. But she's definitely my number one helper and adviser.” Korra smiled. Adviser, idea bouncer, friend, lover – it didn't take much to see that Asami was pretty much everything to her. Ravi smiled back.

“I'm really glad to see that you two have hit it off so well. She'd been dreaming of all of this for years, but I doubt she ever thought it'd actually have a chance to be reality. I suppose it's true what they say... if it's real, love will always find a way.” A statement that Avatar Aang himself had popularized, as it happened. Korra could remember hearing it a lot growing up whenever the subject was broached, particularly from Katara.

“Yeah, I guess it will.” She replied. I mean, really, her and Asami? The odds of the two of them actually ending up together like this, of even having found each other... she didn't even know she was into girls until she met Asami. The odds of everything ultimately working out in their favor like they did were pretty astronomical, she thought. But, here they were, and they couldn't be happier together.

Watching the people in the park enjoy their day, the Avatar and the Earthbender fell silent for a few moments. From the Pai Sho players to their left to the Waterbenders practicing their forms by the river, to the couples taking a leisurely afternoon stroll all around them, it was nice to see everything so peaceful and active in the city again. This was why they fought, why they worked. This was what made it all worth it for them in the end. They just wished they could stay in moments like these forever.

“Anyway, I should probably get going... I've kinda sat around here longer than I intended to. I still have to see if I can't learn anything about the Chi Eater from the spirits around here, help Lin and Mako set up the theater, and then go get ready for the mover and after party tonight. I'm assuming I'll see you there?” Korra asked.

“Asami insists I take the time off and enjoy myself, so I don't really have a choice in the matter, honestly.” He laughed. “But I'm not complaining. The mover was well enough the first time around, and hanging out at a bar with everybody afterwards sounds pretty great to me.”

“Heh, you're telling me. I don't think I've had a chance to relax with everybody since Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding. I mean, I've had plenty of time to relax with Asami, of course, but I miss the rest of my friends, too.” She corrected. Ravi nodded along. He understood.

“I'm kind of sad I missed that, I hear it was a hell of a celebration. But Future Industries was in some relatively dire straits after Kuvira's attack, somebody had to keep things moving. But then Asami came in and requested I look after the company as a whole in her stead for a little while almost immediately after the festivities, so I suppose maybe it's a good thing I didn't, all things considered.” Korra shrugged.

“Asami said she's tried to get us to meet a few times but nothing ever really panned out. I was honestly beginning to think the enigmatic second-in-command of Future Industries was avoiding me.” Ravi laughed.

“No, no, just a very heavy workload, I assure you; I tend to put a lot on myself and get pretty hands-on with things. I'm sure you've seen how easily Asami can get lost in what she's doing if she's working on something especially interesting to her? Just multiply that a couple dozen times so that I'm constantly drifting from project to project and you've got a pretty good example of how I spend most of my work days.” He explained away. “And yet here we both are, completely by chance. It's funny how things work sometimes, isn't it?” He asked. Korra smirked, nodding in agreement. She supposed it was.

“...Right, didn't I say I should probably get going like 5 minutes ago? I really have a lot I need to get around to...” Ravi nodded. She and him both.

“I understand. It was nice getting to talk to you again, Avatar Korra. Best of luck in your endeavors with the spirits.” He wished. Korra smiled, thanking him and bowing in respect as the two of them got up and went their separate ways. With any luck, she'd be able to find something out from the spirits here in the park and not have to travel too far into the slums or the wilds to find the information she was looking for.

***** *** *** *** *** *** *****

Unfortunately, in regards to the spirits, luck didn't appear to be something Korra had very much of. Last time she went chasing down spirits for information on the Chi Eater, they'd already fled the city in fear of a major attack with the approaching mover premiere. This time, however, none of the spirits she'd encountered seemed to know any more than what she'd already figured out for herself, or what her friends' research had dug up a week and a half back. Honestly, it was frustrating. For 1200 years this thing was terrorizing people, and yet not a single spirit seemed to know anything new, only that it was an old spirit, its Energybending left spirits just as vulnerable to attack as humans, and that it'd carefully avoided the Avatar for centuries. Apparently, it'd avoided other spirits, too. Well, when it wasn't busy eating them alive, anyway.

She must've spoken to a dozen spirits around the park, but all she'd gotten was two hours worth of useless information. She couldn't even find out anything about the place the Chi Eater had shown her in that final vision, with the tree in the field. She thought that maybe it was some place in the Spirit World, but apparently it was just too general. She couldn't think of any really defining features other than that lone tree, which really didn't help narrow anything down all that much. She was beginning to wonder if it was even a memory of the spirit's at all, or if it was something pertaining to the memories of whoever had corrupted it that had simply blended with memories of the Spirit World, a distorted amalgamation of the two spirits, just like the creature itself. Either way, she'd learned next to nothing new. Almost two weeks dead and this thing was _still_ a pain in Korra's ass...

Hunching over in defeat, Korra let out an exasperated sigh, standing back up straight and stretching out her back as she thought of what she could do next. As it stood, she'd almost completely blown out her morning dealing with the press and interrogating the spirits in the park, so she could probably get away with making it over to Asami's office to give her that lunch and massage combo she'd promised her earlier, but after that she'd have to get over to the theater and help the police set up for the premiere, which would probably soak up the rest of her day. Then it'd be straight home to the Sato Estate to change into her clothes for the event, then the after party, and after that she'd probably either be too tired or too drunk or both to get back to what she was doing right now, thus forcing her to push it off for yet ANOTHER day.

She'd also have to see if Lin or Raiko could get her the opportunity to visit Kuvira sometime over the weekend or early next week, too, provided she even wanted to see anybody. Korra knew it was probably rather unlikely, but she could try. She seemed open to change in the Spirit World, so with any luck she'd still be open to it now and she could help nudge her along that path. Maybe she could even provide her with some opportunities to actually do something to repent in some way, as unlikely as it was. That trial really was the least of her worries, it seemed like. She didn't feel any less stressed out or overburdened. Now that she thought about it, she had to try and help the police and the Airbenders fend off and do something about the Triads, too, on top of the continuing Chi Eater investigation. And then literally anything could go wrong at any time with the now sovereign Earth Territories, and...

...This was just _not_ going to be a peaceful next couple of months. Good thing she got those last 2 to herself and Asami.

Finishing her stretching and beginning to walk away, looking rather dejected, a rather familiar little light spirit caught Korra's eye, drawing her attention as she passed by, seeing him interacting with a squirrel off to the side. Was that...? “Ah, it's you!” She cried out, catching the spirit's attention with a leap, scaring away its squirrely friend. Who in the worlds...? As he turned and caught sight of his mysterious caller, his leafy ears perked up almost immediately once he realized who it was, taking to the air as they spun around like helicopter blades and levitated him off the ground at about Korra's eye level.

“Avatar Korra, it's you! I'm so happy to see you again!” He exclaimed, circling around her in joy, causing her to laugh as she greeted her familiar little friend. “I'd heard you'd come back from the Spirit World! Everybody's still talking about what you did to that horrible weapon a few months ago!” Korra smiled. One more legendary feat under her belt, she supposed. From Harmonic Convergence to the opening of an entirely new Spirit Portal in the middle of Republic City... Ravi and Tenzin were right, she really had accomplished a lot in only 4 years time.

“Yeah, I've been back in the city for over a week now... it hasn't exactly been peaceful, though.” She replied, rubbing the back of her head and flashing the spirit a nervous grin. Last time she saw him, he'd taken on the form of a small dog and led her to the Foggy Swamp, which in turn led her to Toph and helped her remove the last of the Red Lotus' mercury poison from her body. She wasn't sure she'd have been able to overcome her PTSD and return to Asami if it wasn't for him. He'd saved her life and she owed him a lot.

“Oh, I heard about that, too! I didn't think anybody would ever stop that poor thing! The older spirits still don't think it's safe here, but my friends and I missed this place. Your world is so strange!” Korra raised an eyebrow. Older spirits? ...Suddenly, it hit her.

“ _That's_ what's seemed so off about the spirits lately! They're all young!” Granted, it could be pretty hard to tell the age of a spirit sometimes, but this was clear enough to have been nagging at her from the back of her mind. If that was the case, then it made perfect sense why she hadn't learned anything new... these guys didn't know much more than her because they weren't around when the Chi Eater first came into being. They wouldn't know more than the basics passed down to them by their elders. The light spirit, however, looked confused.

“Huh? What do you mean?” He asked.

“Ever since I defeated the Chi Eater and the spirits started trickling back into Republic City, something's been bugging me, I just haven't been able to put my finger on it... but you just said it! All of the spirits I've been seeing lately have been young. Younger than the Chi Eater was, at least.” Korra explained. The light spirit listened on intently, failing to see what the big deal was – the younger spirits had always loved the physical world. They'd been more populace than the older ones ever since the portals were reopened.

“Well, yeah! We love it in the Physical World! I know my friends and I do, anyway! Everything here is so weird and funny and new, it's completely different from the Spirit World!” Having spent extended periods of time in both, Korra could agree – they were apples and oranges. She could see why younger spirits, particularly ones who'd never been in the Physical World _at all_ before, would find it so intriguing. “Why would that be bugging you?” He asked. Korra hummed in thought.

“You said the older spirits still don't think it's safe here, right? Did they say why?” She asked. The light spirit thought for a moment. In all honesty, he hadn't listened very closely and just wanted to hurry up and follow his friends back into the strange world with the big stone trees people walked in and out of, and humming metal wheel boxes, but now that the Avatar was asking him, he had to be sure about what he replied with.

“I can't remember exactly... but I know it has something to do with that spirit you destroyed, the really dark one that was crying all the time? They seemed to think you hadn't actually stopped it, but I'm not sure why... I just wanted to come back, so I wasn't really listening too well. But I know they said that neither world was safe, especially now that the portals are open. We're stronger in our world than we are over here though, even if we pass through the portals, so we'd stand a better chance there if it attacked us. But my friend says he saw you defeat it, so I think they're just scared!” The little light spirit replied. Korra looked concerned. If the older spirits were still afraid and didn't think she'd stopped it, then maybe there was something to that. If nothing else, it was a new lead to look into. Maybe her feelings about that night were...

“That makes sense... spirits should all be able to Energybend on some level, and the Spirit World is almost nothing _but_ energy, so _any_ spirit would be pretty strong there if it knows how to tap into that.” Korra thought aloud. “But that worries me... if the older spirits think something's up, then maybe I should go talk to them and find out why. That spirit was the toughest foe I've ever faced. If that was just the tip of the iceberg, if there's something even stronger out there or that was just part of something bigger... I have no idea what I'm going to do.” She sighed. From defeat to joy to defeat again to joy again all the way back to defeat... today had been forming a pretty annoying pattern for the Avatar. Despite her misgivings, however, the light spirit remind in light spirits.

“I'm not worried! Even if there is something more, I'm sure you can stop it! They're just afraid of leaving home because they've been there for so long, they'll give up on coming back here for the silliest things. But after how you dealt with Vaatu and that terrible weapon and the really sad spirit, I don't think there's anywhere safer than whatever world the Avatar's in.” He reassured her. Korra smiled. He'd tried to cheer her up back in the Tree of Time, too. At least this time she wasn't in such a dark place that it wasn't working anymore. Maybe he was right. I mean, she _did_ manage to stop Kuvira's Colossus... how bad could another spirit or two be?

“Maybe you're right, maybe I'm just overthinking things...” She said, shaking her head and laughing to herself. She needed more details before she let herself feel _too_ overwhelmed. “But that really sad spirit you're talking about... that's the Chi Eater, right?” She asked.

“I think that's what the humans called it... didn't you hear it crying?” Korra's expression sank. She'd heard a lot of things from that creature... was crying one of them? She couldn't remember. But she knew that it _was_ sad. That much was obvious the first time they'd connected. After that, all she could feel was that sickeningly evil presence corrupting it...

“I don't know... it tried contacting my spirit before the battle began. It... asked me to kill it... I didn't want to, but I had no choice in the end...” Korra sighed. She still wasn't happy about that.

“I think you did the right thing. I didn't know the spirit, but I know some older ones that did. It made them really sad seeing what happened to him. I'm sure it was for the best, otherwise Raava would have stopped you.” Come to think of it, it was Raava who ultimately convinced her to go through with it. Maybe she really was overthinking things, but she wasn't sure she liked this part of the job. She'd kind of kept silent about the whole ordeal to Asami, but given how much it was starting to bug her, maybe it was time she started talking about it some more...

“Yeah... I guess she would have.” She replied. “Anyway, I have to go see my girlfriend at work and help the police with the new mover premiere tonight. I mean fiancee! I have to go see my fiancee at work. Wow, that still seems so surreal...” She corrected with a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of her head. The light spirit tilted its own in confusion. Humans were weird. “But it was nice seeing you again. Hopefully I'll see you around the city again sometime.” To that, the spirit nodded.

“Maybe! I'm going to travel around the world with my friends again, but I like playing with the dragonfly bunnies on Air Temple Island! I noticed last time I visited that you don't live there anymore, but maybe next time you visit!” He excitedly suggested. She nodded. Maybe. Waving goodbye and letting the light spirit go on its way, Korra sighed. Right. Time to go pick up lunch and then get to the theater. Today may be stressful, but tonight? Tonight was gonna make it all worth it.

***** *** *** *** *** *** *****

The club patrons looked on in bemused awe as the surreal scene unfolded in front of them, the Avatar and her fiancee having taken to the stage and started singing a duet for those gathered with the in-house band. Perhaps more surprising than the sudden move on the part of the newly announced couple, however, was the fact that they were actually pretty good. Really good, in fact. Good enough that everybody's ears were about as focused as their eyes as the two very attractive and very powerful, sharply dressed young women serenaded one another (and by extension, the audience) with a local jazz band supporting their vocal talents behind them.

“I bet _you_ never got them to sing like that, huh, Mako?” Bolin slyly asked, playfully nudging his older brother with his elbow from a seat immediately next to him, drink still in hand. The detective scoffed, refusing to dignify the accusation with an answer while his younger brother laughed, taking another sip of his drink as Opal looked on with an amused grin. So, the lovebirds doubled as songbirds, too, did they? Go figure. She never would've pegged them for the type, but damn if they weren't good at it, and as their tune carried on, she couldn't help but hum along.

Of the five friends who'd gathered there today, she was the one who expected the least from the evening, having fully expected to have gotten into a fight with Korra over the subject of Kuvira's sentencing by now or to have been disappointed by the end of the mover she'd missed the week before, but she sat pleasantly surprised on both accounts, the “Great Uniter” the furthest thing from her mind after the day she'd had with Bolin, the good time she'd had at the mover and the night she'd had so far, Korra's and Asami's spontaneous duet just the latest in a long line of happy chance events that'd salvaged what would've otherwise been a much, much more exhausting day as she found herself swept away within their song.

Even the older and more stern crowd of Raiko, Ravi, Lin and Tenzin were caught off guard, whatever topic the four of them happened to have been discussing at the bar across the room beforehand having been dropped entirely as they found themselves pulled into the sound of the two young women currently commanding the stage, the remainder of the club's patrons and premiere's VIPs happily looking on from their tables and booths and enjoying the show. Varrick, especially, who seemed to have been moved to tears, vocalizing how it was “just so beautiful” as Zhu Li handed him a tissue. Now _this_ was how you celebrated a successful mover premiere and the saving of the city.

Just as everybody had hoped, the second premiere had gone off without a hitch, somehow managing to have drawn in a crowd at least as big as the first one, making full use of the city's strategy of staging two showings in a theater with half the Arena's seating capacity. Then, just as Varrick and Ryuuki had planned, with the end of the first showing, the VIP group had exited the building and broken away to celebrate a twofold victory (or even threefold, if you counted Kuvira) with some time off and some drinks at a recently reopened club which Varrick had highly recommended. This one may have been devoid of any strippers, but the band had more than made up for that.

The crowd applauded as the two girls finished their song, blushing as they put the microphone back on its stand and walked off the stage, wondering if they'd really just done that. I mean, Korra was brave, but not that brave, and Asami hardly seemed the type – were they really that drunk already? Whatever the case, Bolin immediately ran up to greet and compliment them the instant they stepped down, leading the two ladies back to their table with Opal and Mako. As Bolin sang their praises to his brother and his girlfriend, Korra smiled, happy to finally have a night she could let her hair down and have some fun with her friends again. It felt like it'd been a long, long time since she'd had a chance to have some fun with so many people like this.

“Seriously, I mean it! You two should put out a record!” The rookie cop loudly suggested, causing Korra to laugh and shake her head, almost blushing a second time. She'd been doing a lot of that today, she'd noticed. At least this time she'd managed to keep it at bay.

“Oh come on, we're not _that_ good.” She modestly proclaimed. “I can't even believe I just did that, I don't know what got into me.”

“It's called alcohol, sweetie.” Asami teased. “I guess even the mighty Avatar's a bit more fun when she's drinking.” Korra scoffed at the accusation.

“Please, I haven't even finished a glass yet, I was just following your lead.” Korra defended, momentarily raising her glass to prove her innocence. “You're the one who's been having the fun tonight.” She teased right back, Asami shrugging her shoulders. Guilty as charged. But what could she say? It'd been a stressful work week. She had a lot of projects to keep on top of. I mean, rebuilding and expanding an entire city wasn't easy, she needed a little fun. But either way, regardless of Korra's reasoning, the Avatar had apparently made some new fans out of Bolin and the crowd tonight. Just, this time for her voice as opposed to her bending.

“Whatever, I'm only on my second glass. I feel like we could all use a little fun tonight. We've earned it.” Asami explained. Her fiancee and her friends agreed, nodding their heads. That they had.

“Yeah, I mean, after almost getting my spirit sucked right out of me, I guess I may as well put a few extra ones into me, right?” Mako asked, causing his brother to almost spit out his drink.

“Gasp! Mako, was that a joke?” Did Bolin's ears deceive him, or did it actually sound like there was a tinge of fun in his dull, dutiful brother's voice? How long had it been since he'd heard _that_? Mako shrugged, looking away. He had no idea what Bolin was talking about. “We need to get you out of that office more often, it can't be good for you. I mean, I can't even remember the last time I heard you crack a joke...” He thought aloud, placing his hand on his forehead as he gave a look of disbelief, genuinely trying to remember the last time his brother had made one.

“There hasn't really been much to joke about, the city's been in some pretty dire straits. But we've scored some real victories lately... like Asami said, we've earned a little fun.” He smiled, the look of contentment on his face and the relief in his eyes causing Korra to smile, as well. Mako always seemed so wound up about one thing or another... it was nice to finally see him having fun again. And he hadn't clutched that scar of his all day, either – Korra had been making a point to watch for that since Bolin had brought it up to her a few days ago. If it was just a symptom of stress like she thought, then she took its absence as a good sign that he was finally starting to take everything in stride again.

“Speaking of fun, was that Prince Wu hitting on you earlier tonight?” Opal asked, Mako nearly choking on his drink at the accusation. She saw that? “Or, just Wu, I guess it'd be now...” Korra and Asami raised an eyebrow, exchanging a side glance as Bolin leaned in, eager for answers. The shit-eating grin on Opal's face said it all. What a way to enter back into the conversation – she actually seemed to have caught Mako off guard. Not an easy thing to do, as Korra, Bolin and Asami could attest. Bolin was almost proud of her.

“I-it's not what you think, he just doesn't handle alcohol very well,” Mako hurriedly explained, clearing his throat as four sets of eyes eagerly affixed themselves to his face. “I-I think he must've thought I was a girl or something, I dunno, I don't really swing that way. Whose idea was it to invite him to this premiere in the first place, anyway? I thought I'd seen the last of that guy months ago, after he dissolved the monarchy...” The skillful shifting of the topic from himself to whoever had invited Wu (Raiko, in all likelihood) was duly noted by those gathered, the three girls and his brother not entirely buying Mako's story or claims of arrow-like construction.

Fun as it would have been to push it a bit more and watch him squirm, however, neither Korra nor Asami would get the chance as an unexpected guest invited himself over to their table, a tall man in a very expensive looking Fire Nation suit stepping up in an attempt to speak with the Avatar and her fiancee, two similarly well dressed Fire Nation natives following silently behind him, interrupting the five's casual conversation.

“Sorry to interrupt, but that was a heck of a performance you two put on up there... who'da thunk the Avatar'd be so multi-talented?” He inquired, grabbing the confused attention of four of the five friends and a cold glare from Mako. Of all the people they could've possibly bumped into tonight, it just had to be this guy, didn't it? Mako didn't expect anybody else to recognize who he was, but he was all-too familiar to the Firebending detective – his was a mugshot he'd seen before. Just when he thought he'd get a nice, crime and drama free evening...

“You... you're the leader of the Agni Kais, Atsushi, aren't you? What are _you_ doing here?” Mako asked. The man in the expensive suit flashed the detective a toothy grin, Asami immediately going on edge at the mention of that group. Like Mako had thought not even a moment earlier, of all of the people they could've bumped into...

“There've been those who've accused me of such. All completely unfounded rumors, of course – I'm just the humble owner of a couple nice night clubs around the city is all.” He replied. Korra's face soured. The Agni Kais? She knew this club was in their territory, but they didn't actually own the place, did they? The way this Atsushi guy spoke seemed to hint as much, and given how bad the city had had it with the Triads lately, she couldn't say she'd be surprised if they did, but she was really hoping to avoid another fight tonight. These guys were growing bolder and stronger by the day, _and_ their territories were expanding faster than ever. Just one more problem she'd probably have to help this city address, eventually...

“But, even if I were, I ain't here to cause no trouble, just to give you twos a little praise. You've got yaself a pretty little voice there, Avatar Korra. Ms. Sato, too, I might add. If I were you, I'd be sure to take good care of it... it'd be a crying shame if anything were to happen to damage it with a couple a risk takers like yaselves, ya feel?” Korra's eyes narrowed. Was that a threat?

“And what's that supposed to mean?” She asked, her hand instinctively grabbing hold of Asami's as the alleged leader of the Agni Kais said her name. She knew the history between Asami and them, how they'd killed her mother... she didn't even want think about what was going through her head right now. The look in her eyes made it clear enough.

“Nothing, nothing, I'm only saying, it's a pretty dangerous world out there right now, which I suppose you'd know better than most. Crazy anarchists, giant mecha suits, angry spirits... you two have seen it all. This city can be a pretty scary place, especially once them Triads ya friend mentioned get involved. Alls I'm saying is, for one whose job it is to fight so much, you should prolly be careful... don't go around risking something so beautiful unless ya sure you can protect it.” He warned, his eyes shifting briefly over to Asami to drive the message home. “I'm talking about ya voices, of course. One bad blow or bending attack to the throat could really shake up them vocal cords, y'know?” Yeah. Her voice. That's exactly what he was talking about. Before Korra could say anything in response, however, Asami had already taken the lead.

“Don't worry, she can take care of herself. She _is_ the Avatar, after all.” Asami threatened back, Atsushi flashing a rather impressed smirk at her retort. That girl had moxie. “And even if she can't, we're no slouches, either. We'll always be there to back her up and we can more than take care of ourselves. She'll be perfectly fine, voice and all.” The coldness in her words was enough to make Bolin shiver, Atsushi simply looking on in amusement and giving the group an innocent shrug.

“If you say so. I'm glad to hear it, honestly, ain't no telling what sorts of forces an Avatar's line of work may end up provoking. Just gotta be sure to keep yaselves safe. Even them Triads weren't, from what I hear... apparently it got leaked that one of their attack dogs was a victim of that there Chi Eater thing you took out a week or so back... like I said, these are troubled times. Who knows what's over the horizon.” The looks of the five friends around the table had become cold and distrustful. His threats weren't as thinly veiled as he thought they were, assuming he was attempting to veil them at all. It was pretty clear he was taking his chance to try and scare the Avatar off now while he could. Now that the Chi Eater was gone and Kuvira was taken care of, it'd only be a matter of time before she started interfering with his business, and clearly, that was the last thing he wanted.

“Ah, but that's the exciting thing about life! You never _do_ know for sure, and it sure does like moving in cycles. With all the bad that we've been having lately, I think it's only a matter of time before some good comes along and takes its place, right?” This time, Atsushi was the one being interrupted as yet another uninvited guest made his way over to the Avatar's table, though this one was much more familiar and much more welcome in their eyes, Bolin especially breathing a sigh of relief while Opal looked up with a mix of surprise and admiration. Seemed as though Ryuuki had noticed the tension at the table and had come over to break it up before things escalated.

“Well, well, if it isn't Mr. Mover Star himself... I'm just surrounded by talent tonight, ain't I?” Atsushi asked, laughing, the blue-haired millionaire giving him a disconcertingly warm smile in response, his laughter coming to an end once he'd noticed it. Something about the way this guy carried himself really weirded him out... but whatever, he was about to leave, anyway. He'd said all he wanted to say. “But maybe you're right... balance and whatnot, right? Time will tell in the end. Anywho, I just wanted to express my admiration for the Avatar and her lovely fiancee's performance, is all... I'll leave you lot to the rest of ya night, now. Ta ta!” Turning and walking away with a lazy wave goodbye, his two stern associates immediately followed his lead, turning and following him back to their VIP table in the corner of the club, the five left behind feeling as though the weight of the world had been lifted from their backs.

Shrugging his shoulders with an innocent hum, Ryuuki turned to face the Avatar and her friends, keeping his disconcertingly warm smile intact as he commented on the strangeness of the situation, though his smile hardly seemed so disconcerting to them. After that unwelcome encounter, it was a breath of fresh air and a sentiment they could share. “Well, that was a thing. What was that guy's problem?” He asked rather nonchalantly. While the rest of the table seemed relieved, Mako's face remained cold and distrustful, his eyes focused on Atsushi's table across the room as he addressed the actor's question.

“His name's Atsushi.” The Firebender spoke up. “And he's been the head of the Agni Kais since Harmonic Convergence. We've been trying to bring him down for years, but we've never been able to get anything to stick. I always heard he was a real weaselsnake...” He instinctively reached for his left arm, rubbing it in an attempt to relieve the tingling pain he was now experiencing up and down its length, something which Korra almost immediately took note of. To be honest though, she couldn't really blame him. That whole encounter was strange. Very strange. Whatever it was the Triads were planning, they clearly didn't want Korra to get involved. Good luck stopping her though, she thought.

“Huh? You're kidding!” Ryuuki exclaimed, a look of shock upon his face. _That guy_ was the leader of the Agni Kais? He certainly didn't look like much. Well, other than wealthy, anyway. Was he really so terrifying a bender as to lead a Triad? “No wonder you guys looked so tense! It looked like he was really starting to get under you guys' skin, so I figured I'd step in before Korra broke his arm off or something, but I thought maybe he was just hitting on one of you three.” He remarked, speaking of course of Opal, Korra and Asami.

“Ugh, if only.” Korra sighed, resting her right arm on the table and her forehead on her right hand while her left remained wrapped around her drink. She suddenly felt like finishing it really quickly now and getting buzzed enough where she could forget about that little incident and return to her evening. One night. All she wanted was one night.

“If he was, _I_ would've been the one to break his arm, trust me.” Asami slid in, Korra shrugging and gesturing her head in agreement with a hum.

“I would've helped.” Opal tacked on, raising her hand with an eager smile, a response that made Ryuuki laugh. Girls had to stick together, right?

“Ah, I wouldn't doubt it! The wrath of a Beifong is almost legendary.” Ryuuki mused. “Same goes for you, Ms. Sato. You're a really brave girl, what with the way you handled yourself against the Chi Eater the other week. I don't think we would've been able to beat that thing back like we did if you didn't intervene. For all we know, it would've killed Korra without you!” Seemed as though Bolin and Varrick weren't the only animated ones – it seemed to be a trait Ryuuki shared, as well. Maybe it was just an actor thing. “You're a pretty lucky woman, Avatar Korra.” Asami blushed. It wasn't THAT impressive. I mean, she was only doing what anybody in her position would've done, right? Given access to a leftover Earth Empire Mecha Suit like she was, anyway. Like hell she was going to let that thing kill her fiancee!

“You don't know the half of it, trust me.” Korra laughed, giving her blushing fiancee a knowing look, only causing her to blush harder. That alcohol certainly wasn't helping her keep a cool face, she could say that much. As she sunk slightly into her seat, Opal also joined in on the laughter, making her question coming out with hers and Korra's relationship at all if this was the kind of public teasing and innuendo she was in for. She wasn't ready for this. Meanwhile, Ryuuki's face returned to a resting smile as he surveyed the young group before him, Korra and Asami especially. So long as they had each other, those two would be unstoppable, he surmised. With the tension dissolved and the group in good spirits again, he considered going back to his table with Varrick and Zhu Li, almost turning to walk away before remembering something he'd meant to say earlier that day.

“By the way, Avatar Korra,” The azure actor blurted out after a moment of silence, raising his index finger as if to communicate 'one more thing' before he forgot a second time. Korra hummed in response, prompting him to go on. “I was meaning to say something earlier, but I couldn't catch you before the premiere on account of helping out at the Arena, but I caught your rounds with the press on the radio today, about Kuvira?”

The look on Opal's face plummeted with the mention of that name. She'd almost managed to forget about her tonight, about that ruling. Up until now, it almost seemed as though the night would pass without incident and it wouldn't become an argumentative mess after all, but of course, somebody just _had_ to bring _her_ up. It really was inevitable, wasn't it? As Ryuuki carried on, Opal's eyes shot downward towards her drink as she immediately finished what was left, which happened to be a considerable amount. She suddenly felt as though she was going to need it.

“I just wanted to say, you handled yourself really well up there. It's nice to hear that not all of Avatar Aang's philosophies have completely died out, even if you are a bit more willing to take decisive action than he was. Honestly, it was refreshing to hear somebody speak out against this barbaric public execution thing that's been floating around lately... that's exactly the kind of guidance this city needs right now. The Red Lotus and that woman really put the Republic in a dark place for a while.” He explained. Opal rolled her eyes. After his performance in The Dancing Dragons, she'd actually kind of started to look up to the guy... figured he'd have to go and ruin it. However, she bit her tongue, trying her hardest to keep her feelings to herself and hoping the moment would pass and she could finish her evening off with a smile. Even if she had to get blackout drunk to do it now.

“Oh... thanks, I guess. Ravi mentioned something similar to me earlier today... I don't know, it just seemed right to me. It's really not that big of a deal.” She said. Right, not that big of a deal, Opal thought. It's not like Kuvira tormented the largest nation in the world for 3 years straight or anything.

“It's always a big deal to take a stand against public opinion and to stick to your beliefs like that. It's the kind of strength of character an Avatar needs, if you ask me, regardless of whether or not you agree with them. But I'm definitely with you on this one. Killing her would've just been garish!” He exclaimed. Was he TRYING to piss her off, Opal wondered? She just as quickly chased the thought from her mind – of course not. How would he have known it'd get under her skin? It was kind of just the topic of the day, anyway. That verdict had taken everybody by surprise. She'd just been lucky enough to avoid everybody talking about it since the announcement first came over the radio, at least until now.

“Yeah, I agree. After what happened with Unalaq and my dad before Harmonic Convergence, I'm not sure if I can really stand behind the death penalty anymore, at least not outside of some really exceptional cases where there are no other options.” The Chi Eater, for instance. She'd genuinely tried her hardest to save it, but... by the end of it all, even the spirit was begging her to kill it. She had no other options then, even if it still didn't sit right with her. “It's just needlessly violent and permanent. I'd like to think we're better than that. She willingly gave herself up and expressed a potential to change... I feel like that's deserving of life.” Korra explained. Mako shrugged.

“The way I look at it, justice is served either way,” The Firebender began. “So whether she lives or dies isn't that important to me. I don't know if I entirely agree with Korra or not, but I'm inclined to, at least. She's never going to be bothering anybody ever again, regardless, so it's all just semantics by this point.” He wasn't wrong, but that didn't mean he was right, Opal thought. Bolin remained uncharacteristically silent, seemingly avoiding to give his opinion on the matter, but he more-or-less agreed with Korra and Mako... either way, justice was served, right?

“I'm not gonna lie, I wanted to see her burn, at first.” Asami shrugged. Opal smirked. Made sense, given what had happened. “But I realized... Korra is right. At this point, anything else would just be vengeance. The Republic would be no better than Kuvira was and I'd be no better than my dad had I rallied for it. I don't know that I'm ever going to forgive her for what she did, but killing her is just waste of time. She honestly isn't worth it.” With that, she took another sip of her drink, her reaction to the topic having been the coldest so far, not counting Opal's private reaction with Bolin earlier in the day. At first the Beifong kind of agreed with her, but by the end of it Asami had lost her. She wasn't worth it? _Seriously_?

“Are you kidding me?” She finally blurted out, Asami's glance shifting over to Opal as she sipped her drink and everybody's eyes focused on her. Here we go. “How can you say that after everything she did? I mean, you of all people should understand, she killed your father!” The force with which Asami's glass returned to the table made it clear Opal had crossed the line bringing up her dad like that. Her look immediately became more annoyed while Ryuuki just blinked, raising his hand to say something, but then closing it, giving a very “oops” looking expression as the scene began devolving in front of him. Out of one frying pan, into an even hotter fire? Maybe he shouldn't have brought that up...

“Okay, first of all, don't you dare think you understand how I feel or can get off telling me how I _should_ feel, because that, quite frankly, is none of your fucking business,” Asami began, looking as though she were about ready to slap Opal, who continued to look on with annoyance. “And secondly, what do you mean am I kidding you? Korra's right, and you know as well as I do that she is. I get that you're still upset about what she did to you and your family, but you're the last person I expected to be out for blood, here. You actually got to have a happy ending. What about me?” Opal clenched her fists, her jaw tightening with rage as Bolin nervously looked on. This wasn't good... this was exactly what he was hoping to avoid tonight!

“Um, guys, maybe we should just change the subject...” The Earthbender meekly interjected, scared to jump into the middle of things as tensions clearly began to rise between his girlfriend and the Avatar's fiancee. Ryuuki nodded quickly in agreement.

“I think Bolin's right, I think maybe I made a mistake in bringing it up. We should talk about something else!” The blue-haired man agreed.

“No. No, you know what, I'm glad somebody finally brought up the elephant in the room, I knew it was only a matter of time before it got to this.” Opal stated, throwing her hands up into the air as she let out an exasperated sigh, tensions at the table immediately beginning to rise again. Great. Because this was exactly what Korra was looking forward to tonight. “That's why I can't believe you actually think letting her live is a good idea. She took everything from you, and you're not the only one! And she never would've stopped!” Opal exclaimed, directing her words at Asami. “And you,” She transitioned, pointing now at the young Avatar. “I can't believe you're taking her side in all of this. You, of all people! After everything she did!” Opal accused. Korra scoffed in disbelief, shaking her head. Was she _really_ going to have to have this discussion now?

“I'm not taking anybody's side, Opal, there are no sides here, only what's right and wrong. And you _know_ what you're implying is wrong. I know you do. Tenzin taught you better than that, and so did your mom.” Korra replied, still hoping she'd be able to diffuse the situation before it got too heated. Opal, however, wasn't having any of it.

“Oh, and I suppose you'd know all about right and wrong, wouldn't you?” She asked.

“Well, considering I'm the Avatar, yeah, I figure I do have some idea of what I'm talking about.” Korra stated a bit more smugly than she'd intended. That probably wouldn't go over well... “Kuvira deserves another chance as much as the next guy; she's a person, too, Opal. She has a right and an ability to turn things around and perhaps even _help_ the Earth Territories going into the future. The way she was going about it was wrong, but she has some idea what she's doing, she could help the new nations coalesce and stabilize.” She explained. Raava knows they'd need some help, and there was only so much Korra and Raiko could do alone...

“No, that's where you're wrong. She's not a person, she's a monster. You have no idea what you're even talking about!” Opal shouted. Korra grit her teeth in frustration. She wanted to unload on her the instant she addressed Asami, but now it was just getting ridiculous. She couldn't actually believe that, could she?

“Well, why don't you enlighten me then!?” The Water Tribe girl challenged, Bolin growing more worried by the second. Both of them were about ready to snap, he could see it in their eyes. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen Opal look so _angry_ before... the rage that was burning in her eyes... he reached his hand out to grab her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down, but it was too late. She'd had enough. Slamming her hands on the table, Opal stood up, Korra immediately leaping up from her seat as well in response as Opal finally let loose.

“WELL HOW ABOUT _YOU_ TAKE A STEP OUTSIDE AND LOOK AROUND YOU! LOOK! _ACTUALLY! LOOK!_ ” Opal screamed, all of the conversations in the room immediately coming to a halt as the Avatar's and the Beifong's argument boiled over, everything Opal had been holding back these past 2 months spilling out at once. Two gusts of wind emanated from her body as she stressed her last two words, Korra's suit fluttering in the wind as she stood tall against her, her expression unwavering and annoyed.

“Opal...?” Suyin asked as she rose from the booth she and her family were situated in, looking over in her daughter's direction while the patrons and the rest of the mover's VIPs could only stare, not willing to stand up and involve themselves in whatever was about to happen. As the enraged Airbender's breeze reached him, Ryuuki threw up his hands as if he were being approached by the RCPD, taking a few steps back as he turned and walked back over to Varrick and Zhu Li's table, pretending he hadn't done anything. That was certainly unexpected.

“LOOK AT WHAT SHE DID! She DESTROYED this city! Do you have ANY idea how many lives she actually ended up taking, even despite our best efforts to evacuate the city during her attack? The final death toll was in the thousands, Korra. THE THOUSANDS. She decimated Republic City's skyline and devastated its economy and its infrastructure and made it possible for weaselsnakes like Viper and Atsushi to take control! There's whispers of a turf war like this city's never seen on the horizon and it's going to take YEARS before it can make it back to what it was before, and that's not even mentioning what she did to Zaofu, how exposed she left us! She brought nothing but pain and misery and fear and hatred to the Earth Territories, and you want to SAVE her? She threw innocent people into concentration camps simply for being descendants of the colonies, and you think she deserves to LIVE? After what she did to my people? To my cities? To my fucking _FAMILY_? NO! SHE DESERVES TO _DIE_!” She screamed.

How could they not get it? How could nobody else here actually get it? How in the hell could she be alone in this? As she stood there in the center of the room, panting from her outburst and more than a little angry, as a deafening silence befell the club, she began to notice the way everybody was looking at her, the confusion, fear or all-around disappointment on their faces. Tenzin was completely speechless and her mother wasn't much different, simply standing there agape at the true extent of her daughter's rage, not sure what to do or say. I mean, she didn't entirely disagree, but this... and then there was Bolin. His was the face that broke her. He almost looked like he was about to cry. The disappointment that painted his expression was just...

“AUGH!” She cried out in frustration, another gust of wind coming from her body as she began to realize what she'd just done. So much was beginning to hit her at once, she couldn't take it anymore. She had to get out of here. “I can't do this. I can't be around you people right now. I'm out of here.” She declared.

“Opal! Where are you going?” Lin demanded. As she made her way over to the exit, all Opal said was one thing:

“To set things right.” Before she walked out the front door, activating the wings of her glider suit and taking off into the night sky before anybody else could leave the building and follow her.

Nobody knew what to say anymore. How do you just go back to normal after an outburst like that? The awkwardness that'd fallen over the club was something else, not even the band or the servers knew what to do. And as the seconds past, those closest to Opal began to become more desperate as everything that'd just happened began hitting them one after the other, Suyin, Lin and Tenzin scrambling to figure out what to do, talking of forming a search party to go find her and how they should handle the situation while Bolin buried his head in his hands, having been afraid of this happening all week. “I failed.” He said. “I wanted to avoid this, and I failed. I didn't know what else to do.”

“I don't think there was anything you COULD do, bro... this is clearly personal for her.” Mako comforted with a concerned smile, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. Asami did the same.

“Korra,” Bolin spoke up, lifting his head from his hands to look his friend – the Avatar – in the eyes. “Please. Find her. I know you're probably the last person she wants to see right now, but you also might be the only one who can actually get through to her. I'm afraid she might do something bad.” He expressed more earnestly than he'd expressed anything in a long, long time. Korra frowned. She could understand where he was coming from. This was honestly the LAST thing she wanted to be doing, but... he was probably right. She had a pretty good idea where Opal was going, and if she was right... it wasn't something Lin, Suyin or even Tenzin had to deal with. She wasn't going to have Opal put them into the same position Su put Toph in. She'd resolve this herself.

“Okay.” She said simply, Asami's attention immediately returning to Korra.

“Are you sure...?” She asked her fiancee.

“Like Bolin said, I'm the only one who can, honestly. If she's going where I think she's going and what she said means what I think it means, then I should be the one to confront her right now.” She explained. Asami frowned, giving the woman she loved a hug.

“I'm sorry... you just can't seem to catch a break... it isn't fair...” She said. Korra sighed. She really couldn't, could she?

“All a part of the job description, I guess.” She shrugged as the two ended their hug, giving Asami a weaker version of her signature crooked grin. “Don't worry, I'll be back soon. I just need to make sure she doesn't do something stupid.” Korra said.

“So long as you don't do something stupid, yourself.” Asami replied. Korra laughed.

“I'll be fine. Just look after Bolin with Mako for me and let Lin and the others know I'm going to go try and calm her down and bring her back here, okay? If I'm not back in two hours, then tell them to make their way over to Kuvira's prison. I'd just like to avoid that if at all possible.” Asami nodded. As she wished. With everything here settled, Korra gave her fiancee one more hug then turned and walked out the door.

With any luck, she'd be able to make it there in time.


	8. Closure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Opal out for blood and Korra desperately chasing after her, the mood of the after party has taken a turn for the worse as the VIPs of the premiere struggle to figure out how to respond to this latest turn of events. Meanwhile, trouble is brewing in Republic City as the Triads meet to plan their next move!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi I'm not dead. My life this last year HAS been extremely hectic and rife with changes (and depression) though, thus the long pause. But this is NOT a story I intend to leave unfinished, and I definitely haven't forgotten about it - there's a lot I still want to do here. I won't bore you with all of the details of my year+ absence, but I will say I'm back to stay. I can't say with any certainty how often I'll be able to update, but I can say that this is one story that won't be lost to the annals of time as "just another unfinished fanfiction". I have too many plans and too many sunken hours to let it be like that.

 

# Book Five  
Chi  
  
Chapter Eight  
Closure

How do you even respond to something like that? As Opal stormed out of the building and Korra followed close behind, giving her fiancee a quick peck on the cheek and a rushed goodbye, this was the question burning in the minds of the remainder of the club's attendees. The awkward silence that'd befallen the room seemed almost impenetrable, but after a few moments of confused, side-eyed glances and hushed murmuring, activity slowly began filtering back into the establishment as the band played another song to reset the mood.

While the usual crowd was appeased, however, the VIP guests from the Dancing Dragons' (re)premiere weren't quite so lucky.

Raiko's conversation with Tenzin, Lin and Ravi had been cut short as the President, the Police Chief and the Airbender walked over to the still awestruck Su at her family's table to attempt to get a hold on the situation whereas Ravi had gone to check on Asami, Mako and Bolin, who'd borne the brunt of Opal's wrath. Asami raised her hand in response to his questioning, requesting him to stop and assuring him that she was fine. It was Su and Bolin who appeared to be the most shaken up by things, the Lavabender in question maintaining his earlier, defeated position, his face still buried in his hands as his brother tried to calm him down.

“It's not your fault, bro. You did your best.” Mako assured for what felt like the 11th or 12th time, his brother continuing to mumble statements of blame directed at himself as he lamented he could've done more, he wished he'd done more. Deep down he knew as well as anybody that there was nothing he could've done to change Opal's mind, but this was the exact scenario he'd been trying his hardest to avoid and he'd failed. Now she was out spirits knew where doing spirits knew what and all he could do now was hope that Korra could find his girlfriend in time, before it was too late and she did something she'd never be able to come back from.

“I'm sorry, I had no idea it was that touchy of a subject for her... I should've kept my mouth shut.” Ryuuki apologized, having awkwardly returned to the Avatar's table a few moments prior, though he'd remained silent up until this point.

“*sniff* Ah, it's not your fault, you couldn't have known...” Bolin responded, partially because it wasn't his fault and partially because he didn't want himself or his girlfriend to be a source of guilt or stress for one of his idols. The public nature of her explosion kind of just made this whole thing even more embarrassing than it already was. “She just... I don't know. I've tried to understand. Really, I have. And I've tried to get her to ease up a bit on the whole Kuvira thing, but she... I should've done more.” Ceasing to look up, he quickly returned his face to his hands and shook his head.

Ryuuki remained silent, not wanting to say much more on the topic, perhaps in fear of worsening things even further, though he awkwardly gave the young Earthbender a tap or two on the back in support before his brother placed his own on the ex-star's shoulder.

“Everybody deals with pain differently, and no matter how hard you try, some wounds won't heal quickly. Clearly, whatever wounds Kuvira inflicted on her heart haven't healed yet. If she really is heading for her prison, then maybe, if Avatar Korra can make it there in time and ensure she doesn't do something foolish, then it'll be a good thing. A little closure can go a long way in situations like these. Don't blame yourself, I doubt there's anything anybody could've done. This is a trial she needs to face alone.” Ravi remarked.

“Yeah, Ravi's right. I mean, aside from that little episode, maybe this won't be such a bad thing,” Mako tacked on in hopes of comfort. “Just have a little faith in her, and in Korra. I'm sure everything will be fine.” He hoped.

As that went on, Asami made her way from her friends' table to the booth in which the rest of the Beifong family had been seated, Su having returned to her seat from her shocked, standing position earlier on and stuck in a similar loop to Bolin, her hands holding onto the side of her head as she also blamed herself for what just happened. In this scenario, Lin, Tenzin and Raiko played the parts for her that Mako, Ravi and Ryuuki were playing for Bolin, the Beifong matriarch repeating her daughter's boyfriend's sentiments almost verbatim.

“This is my fault,” Su repeated, sounding somewhat shocked at her own words. “I did this.” Lin could only think to place a hand on her sister's shoulder, unsure of what to say. She was never really very good at stuff like this, and everybody there knew it, but dammit, she'd try to be for her sister's sake. Thankfully, Tenzin was around to back her up, picking up her slack and saying what she couldn't.

“Su, you know that that's not true. I've been aware of Opal's feelings in regards to Kuvira for a while now, and I've tried to talk to her about them, a lot of her friends in the Air Nation have, but we could never get through to her. Whatever's going on, it is clearly very personal. You can't blame yourself for what she feels.” Tenzin sympathetically replied, Su's three sons and her husband looking down, as disappointed as her while equally unsure of what to say as Lin. Today appeared to be made up of nothing but awkward moments for the Beifongs.

“Tenzin, you don't get it, I set this example.” Su corrected, looking up at the de facto head of the Air Nation. “I showed Kuvira no mercy, no understanding. I spent three years demonizing her, I led the charge against her, I rallied for her execution, and now, because of the precedent I set and because Kuvira gets to live, my daughter's probably out there playing executioner herself. This is _my_ fault. _I_ did this. I shouldn't have been so vindictive, I should've tried to talk to her, I should've seen how badly this was affecting...” She couldn't even finish her train of thought as images of her daughter killing her former protege intruded upon her mind. She had no doubt that was what Opal had gone out to do, what she meant when she mentioned “making things right”. After all, it was as she said – she'd set that precedent.

“Thankfully, it's because of situations like these that it was decided to keep her exact location secret,” Raiko interjected, hoping to inject a little bit of hope into the rather grim proceedings. “Only a few select officers and individuals know where off the coast her prison is. I doubt she'll be able to find her, let alone kill her.” And under ordinary circumstances, he may have been right, but there was one little thing Raiko seemed to be forgetting that Su hadn't.

“Except that she's an Airbender, Raiko. Opal can fly. She doesn't need to ask anybody, she just has glide around off the Republic's coast until she sees the giant wooden eyesore in the middle of the ocean.” Raiko's expression immediately changed. Oh. He hadn't thought about that.

“Now let's not jump to conclusions, here – I know Opal, she's always been very receptive to ancient Air Nomad teachings and philosophy, she hardly seems the type to-” The Zaofu leader cut him off.

“Tenzin, please, I understand what you're trying to do, but you have no idea what you're talking about right now. Those two have _always_ had problems with each other and I knew it, but I never once tried to do anything about it. I thought they should sort things out on their own, like I always did. I should've seen this coming from the start, _especially_ with the way I've been acting. I can't believe I let my emotions get the better of me like this... I'm a terrible leader, a terrible _mother_...” Or, so she told herself. Given their troubled upbringing and Lin's personal opinion of it, however, she begged to differ, finally speaking up as Su's pity parade turned to her mothering ability.

“Now hold it right there, you are _not_ a terrible mother. Need I remind you the kind of mess _our_ mom's approach made?” Lin inquired. Su's eyes settled briefly onto the scar on her sister's cheek. No, she supposed she didn't. “You've raised yourself a great bunch of kids, and I know for a fact from talking with them myself that you raised them right. You can't go blaming yourself for _their_ boneheaded decisions; spirits knows mom never blamed herself for ours.” The Chief of Police defended.

“You say that, but you're not the one who took in a dictator and raised both a war criminal and a potential murderer, now are you?” Lin opened her mouth and raised a finger in rebuttal, but she honestly had no idea how to respond to that, closing her mouth and lowering that finger with an annoyed scoff. That was not the kind of point she wanted to put in her sister's favor right now, but it was a point nonetheless. She just wished she knew how to respond to it.

“If that's the case, then we should act now and send out a search party before it's too late. Tenzin, we're going to need you and your kids to help if we have any chance of catching her in the skies.” Raiko spoke up, taking a more confident, leaderly role as comforting of Su got them nowhere. Fact of the matter was that Opal was still out there and she had red in her eyes, she needed to be stopped before it was too late.

As the topic switched from Su to the search, Asami finally spoke up, having been hovering by the table for several minutes now, trying to figure out when and how to involve herself in the discussion and let them know what Korra had wanted her to tell them.

“Um...” Asami meekly interrupted, uncharacteristically awkward as the four's attention immediately shifted to her. If one didn't know any better, they could say she almost looked a little uncomfortable to be in the spotlight for once, sympathizing with Lin and Tenzin as they awkwardly tried their best to navigate the situation, a boat she now found herself in, as well. “...Korra wanted me to tell you that she's going to try and calm Opal down and bring her back here before she does anything stupid, and to just leave it to her for now... she says that this is part of her job as the Avatar, too, and that you guys shouldn't have to deal with this right now, especially not Su, and especially not if anything goes wrong.” She explained, elaborating further on her fiancee's intentions in her stead.

“Well that's all well and good, but as dangerous as she is, Kuvira could also end up being an important asset to the Earth Territories. We can't stake her life on any one person, not even the Avatar. This is too important.” The President replied. Su raised an eyebrow. Important asset...?

“No wonder you never gave a straight answer whenever you were asked about Kuvira... you never intended to let her die, did you?” The Beifong matriarch accused. Raiko remained stonefaced, unfazed by the implications of what she was asking him.

“I didn't rig the trial if that's what you're getting at, but as a political leader myself, I can see the benefit of using her skills in the organization of government and armed forces. As a fellow world leader, I'm sure you can understand that too, right?” By this point, Asami was beginning to get frustrated. She had to make sure Korra had the time she asked for to do what she needed to do.

“Look, can we talk about the politics of all of this later?” The CEO asked, shades of frustration in her voice. “Korra's not asking you guys to do nothing, but she'd like to have some time to try and sort this all out without Opal getting herself arrested. If she can prevent anything from happening, she'd like to try and do that. Can you just wait for 2 hours and see if she comes back?” Asami pleaded.

“2 hours is far too long! Like I just said, she is too important an asset to risk right now, even with the Avatar in play!” Raiko hurriedly replied. “We need to organize a search party immediately and cover as much ground as possible. Su, I'm sorry, but your daughter did this to herself.”

“Now hang on just a minute here!” Lin interrupted, slamming her hands on the table. “Not that I don't get what you're saying, but since when has Korra ever given you any reason to doubt her? Do I need to remind you of the spirit monster she took down just last week, or how she was the one who stopped Kuvira in the first place? I think she's earned a little leeway here. If she thinks she can find and put a stop Opal before she does something stupid, I say we give her that chance. I'm not saying I won't do it if I have to,” The Chief of Police affirmed, glancing down at Su with a sorrowful look in her eye. “But I'd like to _not_ arrest my niece on charges of attempted homicide, if at all possible.”

“President Raiko, please reconsider. I understand how important Kuvira could be to helping to restore order to the Earth Territories, but Opal is an important member of the Air Nation, as well, and has helped you to rebuild over half of this city. She's one of our most talented benders and I would also like to avoid losing her if at all possible. I have the utmost faith in Korra and her abilities, and just as much faith that Opal will see reason and turn around before it's too late.” Tenzin added on in hopes of changing Raiko's mind. Even if they couldn't buy her the full two hours that she wanted, with any luck, they'd at least be able to buy her one.

“Mmm...” Raiko hummed in frustration, closing his eyes in thought. No matter how he looked at it, 2 hours was completely unfeasible. But they were right. Korra had bought herself the benefit of the doubt when it came to her capabilities as an Avatar, even if she'd never really handled a situation quite like this before. And Opal was an important part of the Air Nation, which was in turn an important ally of Republic City. Frustrating as it was, he supposed she had earned herself a little time. But he wouldn't be caught completely with his pants down.

“One hour. After that, we fan out across the city on the off chance she hasn't left yet or has already returned and is in hiding, and Tenzin and his family will head directly to Kuvira's cell in case she somehow hasn't made it there yet. I want everybody to be ready to move out immediately.” Raiko ordered, a sigh of relief escaping all involved and a smile gracing Asami's lips.

“Thank you, Mr. President.” Asami thanked, shaking Raiko's hand.

“Don't thank me just yet. Your fiancee's proven herself time and again on the battlefield, but I have no idea how she's going to handle a situation like this,” The President stated with concern. “But I believe you have a point that she's earned herself the opportunity to try. If even one thing seems off to me, however, I will not hesitate to move out and arrest your friend. I hope your faith in her isn't misplaced this time around.” Asami's smile faded somewhat. I mean, he wasn't entirely wrong, but the way Raiko said it irked her, never mind the fact he said it at all. But at least he was giving her an hour. It wasn't what Korra had asked for, but, it was something. She just hoped she'd be able to pull it off...

...But who was she kidding? She was the Avatar, of course she could pull it off! The way she ran off, right? Asami was sure – Korra had a plan. She probably knew _exactly_ what she was doing, all Asami had to do now was wait!

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Korra had no idea what she was doing.

Well, I mean, okay, she did, kind of? But she was still pretty new to this whole “driving” thing, and she hadn't exactly mentioned to Asami that she'd taken her keys and borrowed her car to speed around the city and try and keep up with Opal. But, until Asami finished working on that personalized glider suit she'd promised her, she had no other means of tailing Opal right now. I mean, it made sense, and it was probably a good idea (provided she didn't accidentally pull the wrong lever at the wrong time and kill somebody and/or herself, seeing as this whole gear shifting thing was still a little confusing to her), but still.

She was just glad she hadn't had enough alcohol to even feel a buzz yet, that would've been _really_ reckless, never mind dangerous. But, even if she had, there was a life at stake here – two of them, in fact – so she felt it would've been justified regardless. And sure, maybe that little alcohol made for a boring night for some people, but she WAS the Avatar, there was no telling when she'd need to do something important, especially in _these_ chaotic times. In her mind, that meant she couldn't let herself get too inebriated in fear of not being in peak fighting condition should the need ever arise.

Well, that, and everything in that club tasted like crap to her, including her drink, but, you know, details. The Avatar thing sounded cooler and more professional.

Still, even going as fast as she was down Republic City's streets, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to make it to the Western Harbor in time. She still had to take the winding, roundabout way down a series of confusing roads and intersections while Opal could glide a straight line to her destination. Perhaps the only saving grace was the fact that Korra already knew exactly where Kuvira's prison was located from earlier talks with city officials, so she could make a bee line right for it and not really have to search around on the horizon like Opal did.

As Korra thought about it, Opal actually had mentioned wanting to dress a bit more casually for the second premiere, wanting to wear her glider suit beneath her clothes in case of another attack or something, so she could quickly spring into action without tripping all over a fancy dress. I mean, it made sense – that was one of the reasons Korra showed up in a suit again, despite just really liking how it looked on her – but still, Korra was beginning to wonder if maybe she'd secretly been preparing for something like this in advance all day. With just how vehement she seemed to be about how Kuvira's fate should've been handled, as much as she hated it, Korra couldn't completely rule it out. She just hoped it was an unfortunate coincidence, otherwise, this would be a lot more difficult to deal with than she thought.

“Damn it, Opal... what the hell happened...?” She asked the wind, shifting the Satomobile into a higher gear and pushing down the gas pedal with even greater force, the roar of the engine piercing the relative silence of Republic City's streets as she zipped around corner after corner, the roads freer and emptier than they normally were, even at this time of night. With so many people preoccupied with the premiere and the continued increase of Triad Activity over the last couple of weeks, nobody really wanted to be out at night anymore, but tonight this played to Korra's advantage, letting the inexperienced driver give in to her inner adrenaline junky and race down to the Western Harbor at full speed.

She couldn't help but wonder what could've happened between Opal and Kuvira to have driven her this far. What happened to her family and her city was bad, yeah, but was it really bad enough to elicit _this_ sort of a response? Or was there something deeper going on she didn't know about yet? As the tires screamed and burned around one more corner, finally, Korra could see her destination coming up in front of her, one more long, lit-up road the only thing separating her from Republic City's Western Harbor.

Dodging what few Satomobiles there were traveling down or parked alongside the road with skill that surprised even her, as she finally reached her destination, she brought her (re: Asami's) vehicle to a sliding stop at the end of the road, its tires squealing in protest as the screaming metal death trap she'd turned it into was thrown sideways and then reluctantly ceased its movement, its tires a little worse for wear from the way that Korra had been abusing them, but otherwise intact, not a single scratch having been left on the familiar blue paint job.

Korra had no time to revel in her hidden skills as a would-be race car driver, however, as she had an Airbender to catch and a Metalbender to save, so as soon the Satomobile had jostled into a parked position along the side of the road, the Avatar Airbent herself out of her seat and broke straight for the pier as quickly as her limbs would allow.

Looking up as she ran as fast as she could down the old wooden boardwalk, Korra scanned the skies for Opal, hoping to make out the tell-tale red and yellow colors of the new Air Nation glider suits in the darkness of the night. Thankfully, the light pollution from Republic City made it an easier prospect than it may have seemed on paper, even at 11 o'clock, and she could feel a surge of relief jolt her chest as she saw her just beyond the pier and gliding over the sea, heading in the general direction of Kuvira's wooden prison. It was exactly what she was afraid of, but, at least she wasn't too far ahead.

In the back of her mind Korra had been hoping that maybe she was wrong and she was making a terrible assumption coming all the way out here, but there was no doubting it now – Opal was out for blood, and it was up to Korra to stop her in whatever way she could.

Biting her lip and turning her head back down and away from the Beifong in the sky, as Korra ran out of boardwalk, she leapt from the walkway and into the sea, at first indenting and sinking into it before bouncing back up almost completely dry, taking off with great speed as she skated across the water in pursuit of her friend. Refocusing her attention on Opal, Korra raised her right arm, a stream of water trailing her movements as she did, encircling her and then resting coiled at her right side as she contemplated repeating what she'd done to Zaheer and throwing Opal off balance with the well timed freezing of a limb before she even knew she was being tailed, but at the last instant, she stopped herself, re-evaluating her course of action.

It would be so much easier to just take her down now and drag her back to her family kicking and screaming, but that wouldn't do anything but piss her off more and ensure she'd try again. The more that Korra thought about it, the more she realized that she'd be better off letting Opal see this through and simply keeping tabs on her as she did, making sure she didn't do anything... extreme... in the process. Whatever was going on with her, she clearly needed closure, and maybe this would give her an opportunity to get that, just as Korra had gotten with Zaheer a few months prior. Sighing, Korra closed her eyes, lowering her arm and letting the water she'd pulled up around her collapse back into the sea, opening them again as she steeled her resolve and increased her speed, following Opal from almost directly beneath her.

For now, she'd just follow and observe. She just hoped that she wasn't making a mistake.

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

As the first 10 minutes of the President's 1 hour deadline came and went, tension had begun gradually returning to the room for those closest to Opal.

It hadn't been terribly long, but already Asami was beginning to grow a little bit worried. Unrealistic as it was, she was really hoping that Korra would've been back by now, that maybe Opal hadn't gone very far and she'd apologize for everything without any further incident, but it was becoming increasingly apparent that that wasn't going to be the case. As she sat at her table with Bolin, the two of them were becoming similarly distressed, although Bolin was understandably still more distraught than she. As he sat there, propping his head up with his hands on his temples, looking down at nothing in particular, Asami reached over, placing her hand on his left shoulder and snapping him out of his trance.

“Don't worry. You know Korra as well as I do, she'll bring Opal back. Everything's going to be okay.” She hoped, flashing Bolin a comforting smile that was half-genuine at best. But, he appreciated the continued support, returning an equally half-genuine smile in response before leaning his head into friend's shoulder, tired and defeated. All they could do now was wait.

Meanwhile, Raiko and Lin had broken away from the Beifong family in order to discuss the worst case scenario of sending out a search party and bringing Opal in under arrest, a prospect Lin still wasn't terribly comfortable with, but nevertheless understood the reasoning behind. While Lin had departed the family, however, Tenzin had elected to stay behind, sticking around by Su's table in order to continue to try and comfort her (now with some assistance from Zhu Li), just as Asami was with Bolin, while Mako had returned to the bar to grab himself another drink, albeit for entirely different reasons than before. Beside him were Varrick and Ryuuki, the organizers of the night's event, while Ravi was nowhere to be seen, having suddenly disappeared after checking up on Asami and trying his hand at helping Bolin. For such a large guy, he sure could be hard to find, sometimes.

As another surge of pain shot up from around his left wrist, Mako cursed his fate, wincing as the familiar sting of his scar added injury to insult. Why was it any time he and his friends tried to go out and have a little fun, something terrible like this ended up happening? Were they just _that_ unlucky? Rubbing his arm in tired frustration, the familiar burning, tingling sensation he'd been fighting since the battle for Republic City did little to improve his mood. While he'd have expected some measure of healing by this point in time, if anything, he almost felt as though the pain in his arm was gradually getting worse, as if it was still being damaged. Some days, he could swear that damn scar had crept a little bit further up his arm than it was the day before.

If his friends were right, then his scar reacted to stress, and a lot of what he was feeling was likely psychosomatic and a result of his tired, frustrated and overworked mind as opposed to an actual, worsening condition with some sort of underlying physiological cause. And while that certainly may have been part of it, from Mako's experience, it also seemed to either precede or coincide with the delivery of bad news, as if his body was predicting and then lamenting yet another thing going wrong in his life, warning him through pain of even greater pain yet to come.

So even with as much as its burning right now may have potentially made some sense, it also happened to further increase his stress, putting him on edge and leaving him wondering – what was going fuck up next? Was another Chi Eater going to show up and eat all the Mover attendees?

Truly, tonight had become an utter disaster.

“I can't help but notice that you keep rubbing your arm,” Came the voice, dragging Mako out of his head as an uncomfortably calm Ryuuki tried to grab his attention. What had him so cheery? “Something the matter?” He asked. Mako blinked. Right, he'd kind of zoned out for a moment there, mimicking the same soothing, rubbing motions up and down his arm on auto-pilot as he contemplated his condition. He must've looked stranger than a guy with blue hair who didn't know when to stop smiling. How long had he been staring at him, anyway?

“...It's just my scar, it's nothing.” Mako finally assured after a brief pause. “It just hurts from time to time, that's all. It's probably just stress.” That's what Korra had promised him when she gave it a once over, anyway. Given that she was a healer who'd trained under Katara, somebody who'd had much experience with Lightningbending-related scars on the previous Avatar, he was willing to trust her judgment on the matter and not give it much more thought than that, theories of pain-based precognition notwithstanding.

“Hmmm, I wonder about that.” Ryuuki mused. The look on that guy's face really rubbed Mako the wrong way. The way he smiled... it almost seemed smug, as though he was entertained by the detective's answer, like he knew something. But Mako shook his head. What would _th_ _at_ guy know?

Looking around the room as Ryuuki pressed on, Mako noticed that in the time he was lost in thought, Varrick had disappeared, as well, at least from the bar. On further inspection, he could see the eccentric billionaire on the other side of the room, over at Su's table to be with his wife, presumably trying his hand at calming the Chief's sister down as well, albeit in his own unique way. That was probably another disaster waiting to happen, but it certainly explained why Ryuuki's attention was freed to occupy Mako's own. Still, what'd happened to that Earthbender that worked for Asami, though...? He still couldn't see him hanging around _anywhere_...

“I remember you from the Chi Eater battle... you're a Lightningbender too, right?” The actor inquired, forcing Mako's gaze back onto him and prompting him to respond.

“Oh, uh... yeah, why?” He couldn't say he liked the guy much, but the way he was talking had Mako suspicious, as if he was trying to lead him on. Was there something he wanted?

“Let me guess – your scar's Lightning related?” Mako would've been impressed if it weren't so obvious; his role in the battle with Kuvira's Colossus wasn't exactly unknown. Granted, Ryuuki was technically from out of town, but still, the story of his Lightningbending death blow to Kuvira's greatest war machine was almost legendary now. Bolin said there were rumors of action figures soon.

“Once again, yeah. Why do you want to know? I've already had the Avatar give it a once over and she's a heck of a healer. It's fine.” He stubbornly affirmed. Ryuuki, however, remained unconvinced.  
  
“Mmmmm, I wouldn't be so sure. I mean, the Avatar isn't a Lightningbender herself, is she? It's a pretty incredible art, as I'm sure you already know. It's not something just anybody can do or understand.” Was Ryuuki insinuating he knew more about his arm than the Avatar? Okay, now he had Mako's attention, if only out of awe at his sheer audacity. He knew that actors could be a little stuck up, but that was a whole other level of arrogance.

“Are you saying she's wrong?” He asked. Ryuuki grinned.

“I wouldn't go _that_ far, I'm sure stress is a contributing factor... but have you ever wondered _why_ it's a contributing factor?” Mako was silent, something which Ryuuki took as a 'yes'. It... was something he'd been wondering that Korra hadn't touched on, yeah.“As you should already know... lightning is created when you divide the positive and negative energies in your body and create an intentional imbalance. It's an explosion of pure human spiritual power that you have to try to redirect through your chi pathways and out your fingertips so that it does all of that exploding _outside_ of your body and leaves your insides intact and uncooked.” The blue-haired bender explained.

“Yeah, I kind of already know that on account of being a Lightningbender and all.” Mako sassily replied. Was Ryuuki just going to try and re-explain the fundamentals of high-level Firebending and the dangers of Lightningbending to him? Because honestly, that was the last thing he wanted to hear right now, particularly from some stuck up dandy like this guy. If he wanted to feel all smart and superior, he could do it with someone else.

...But that look in his eye.

A lot of things rubbed Mako the wrong way about Ryuuki, and that look right now was one of them. He seemed like he wanted to make a point, and it was making Mako curious, much as he hated to admit it. He guessed there'd be no harm in seeing what he wanted to say. “...Ugh, fine, I'll bite, just stop... grinning at me.” Ryuuki's grin widened. Mako immediately felt like he made a mistake, but it was too late to turn back now. “What does all of that have to do with stress?”

“Everything.” Ryuuki shrugged, stating it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “To look at it another way... Lightningbending is Energybending any sufficiently skilled Firebender can do. I'm sure you know about that from Korra, yeah?” She _had_ become pretty famous for it, particularly since the Chi Eater... she'd taken it to extremes not even Aang had.

“Not everybody has a terribly good understanding of the art and what that means, but you're taking your own, internal energy and bending it in a way that no other bender can. I mean, sure, other benders can use their chi to influence the world around them, but Lightning is made up _purely_ of a bender's own spiritual energy, forcefully divided and expelled as a weapon. It's the closest a human can come to something like Kuvira's Spirit Cannon, or Vaatu's Spirit Beam... the processes are more-or-less the same, and channeling that much energy through your body's internal organs and energy pathways is understandably very, very dangerous. Even when it's handled correctly it can cause some serious lasting damage. But if you've got a scar, I'm assuming you handled it _in_ correctly?” Mako thought for a moment. Well, not exactly...

“I handled it perfectly, I just underestimated the power of the Spirit Vines that Kuvira was using to power her machine. I ended up having to draw more energy from the Colossus itself, as well, and it ended up giving me a lot of unexpected feedback.” He explained.

“Ahhh...” Ryuuki mused, rubbing his chin. So that was it, huh? “You've probably overloaded the chi pathways in your arm and damaged them internally, making them more susceptible to stress of all kinds, physical and emotional. Your pain's probably been on the rise since you got back to work and started bending again, yeah? Every time you start feeling overwhelmed?” The look on Mako's face said it all. Bingo.

“Our energy changes with our emotions, so if you're feeling especially negative, it can build up and create stress. Stress is damaging to the body all on its own, but if your chi pathways are already weakened by some sort of outside force, then the effects can be even worse. Thus, the pain. That feedback damaged your arm in such a way that you're now able to more plainly feel the effect that stress, fear, anger and all those other nasty things have on your body.” Well, if he didn't have it before, Ryuuki certainly had the detective's attention now. This... was definitely some new information, but was he right? I mean, Korra hadn't said anything about it, so...

“Damaged? But I can still bend just fine, I can even conjure Lightning if I wanted to. If my chi pathways were damaged, wouldn't I be unable to do that?” Mako asked, not entirely buying Ryuuki's explanation just yet. Granted, he was also a Lightningbender _and_ at least 10 years his senior, so he probably had some idea of what he was talking about, but... this was the first he'd heard of anything like this.

“Not necessarily. The damage probably isn't that severe, but if you don't get it repaired, continued bending probably could end up doing more significant damage to your arm, damage that may very well be irreparable. That's why your pain's been on the rise.” Ryuuki warned. “Think of it as... ah! Think of it as like cracks in the foundation of a building. The building can stand just fine and bare its weight without incident. People could even live in that building, and it could stand for _years_ without ever coming down or alerting anybody to its lack of structural integrity. But the second an earthquake hits or the right kind of stress is applied, those cracks will grow, and worsen, and spread. Maybe it'll be gradually, maybe quickly, but eventually, a breaking point _will_ be reached, the foundation _will_ shatter, and the building _will_ come tumbling down, taking everybody inside of it with it. Your chi pathways are no different.”

“So... what? If I keep going I won't be able to bend out of my left arm anymore? Fantastic. Thank you. That's exactly what I wanted to hear right now. This night just keeps on getting better and better.” The detective complained, throwing his arms into the air and letting out a defeated sigh. Where the hell was his drink? He was really beginning crave it right about now.

While he'd never heard of any of this before, Mako had to admit, it made some sense. I mean, it certainly explained why he felt as though the pain was getting worse and more frequent, like he'd mentioned. And if what Ryuuki said about emotions and stress changing his energy and being more noticeable in damaged pathways was true, then maybe that explained the “precognition”, as well. Maybe it was all just in his head. Maybe he was just expecting the worst, which his arm reacted to, and whenever something actually did get worse, it seemingly lent credibility to the notion. But while it was nice to potentially have some answers, it wasn't nice to hear that the damage was internal, and to such an important part of a bender's body. If his pathways were damaged, he was screwed. He was convinced now, tonight just couldn't get any worse.

“Oh, goodness no! I mean, that would be the case if you didn't know a healer with intimate knowledge of Lightningbending, its effects on the body, and how human chi pathways work, but luckily, you know me!” Ryuuki explained with a laugh and an uncomfortably wide smile. Mako's head immediately whipped back around to Ryuuki. He was a _what_?

“...You? A healer? But you're a Firebender.” Congratulations, Mako – you've just been promoted to Captain of the Obvious for the RCPD. Expect a 500 page special edition chapter of “ _Forever_ ” next month detailing your stirring acceptance speech and the ensuing after party in which you point out something else incredibly obvious every other line.

“Yeah, and...?” Ryuuki asked. Mako was confused yet again. “What, you think Firebenders can't be healers? All benders can be healers, you know, not just Waterbenders. Sure, they're more naturally and passively in-tune with their internal energy and the energies of others, which is why some of them are able to heal so naturally, but they're not the only ones, it just takes somebody with the right mindset and some decent understanding of the human body and its energy networks.” The azure Firebender shrugged.

“More than any other bender, Firebenders make _active_ use of their chi, channeling it and expelling it in explosive bursts of fire and flame and sometimes lightning. We _create_ our element. I mentioned before how your emotional state can affect your energy, right? That goes for your ordinary every day bending, too. That's why Lord Zuko temporarily lost his Firebending after joining Avatar Aang. His wavering convictions and sudden new path in life had changed his energy and made it a lot more difficult for him to bend like he used to. He wasn't being fueled by rage and desperation anymore, so he had to find new ways to affect and direct his chi.” Well, this was all really interesting and all, but Mako felt like maybe Ryuuki was losing the point here. He didn't want a history lesson, he wanted an answer. Could Ryuuki help him or not?

“And? What's your point? What does _any_ of this have to do with healing?” Mako asked hurriedly, rushing Ryuuki to his point.

“Everything! Haven't you been paying attention?” Mako looked confused. Ryuuki sighed. Fine, he'd break it down even more for him. “Firebenders who have knowledge of the truths of their art and an understanding of the human body can read and trace the chi pathways of others in a manner similar to Waterbenders, but even more than that, we can use our active application of chi to direct the flow of energy inside of them and even inject our own, using our Firebending to seal up 'holes and cracks' in one's chi pathways and undo the damage that our art is capable of inflicting on us and on others.” So in other words, Firebenders could perform the same sort of healing techniques as Waterbenders, but with an emphasis on internal, chi-based damage? That... was something Mako never knew before. Could any of this be true...?

“...How do you even know all of this?” Mako asked. It all seemed a little far-fetched to him, but he had to admit, he'd seen a _lot_ of pretty far-fetched things in his life these last four years... he was willing to give Ryuuki the benefit of the doubt if it meant a chance at finally being free of this pain.

“Well, fire isn't _purely_ destructive, you know. I'd heard stories of Firebending shamans and sages who were able to heal all manner of maladies with their Bending, doing things it was once thought only Waterbenders were capable of, and more! Given that I had chosen the path of a Lightningbender, I thought it'd be wise to pursue these almost mythic abilities as well, to undo any damage I could end up doing to myself in my training. And, so far, it's worked! Any harm my Lightningbending's done to me I've been quickly able to repair.” Mako was stunned. Did that mean...? “Of course, I've never tried applying this ability to another person before, but, if you'd like, I could try and heal you myself.”

“I...” Mako had no idea what to say. As bad as things were, he never would've suspected that what'd happened to his arm was _that_ serious. I mean, Korra didn't seem to have realized it, and from the way Ryuuki was talking, the way he spoke with such authority on Firebending, Mako doubted that even Katara herself would've known. The only thing that made him wonder was how this guy had come to learn all of this. I mean, he couldn't be much more than 10 years older than he was. He'd written him off as just some sort of arrogant dandy before, but he was continually being impressed by this guy every single time that he showed up. Perhaps there was more to this 'Ryuuki' character than met the eye...

“...Yes, please. Honestly, the pain's been becoming worse and worse lately.. it would be nice to just have a normal arm again, one that doesn't randomly start hurting me every 10 minutes.” He wasn't sure if it was the right thing or not, accepting Ryuuki's offer, but what was done was done. He was desperate. If this could help... if this could POSSIBLY help... he was willing to go for it.

Ryuuki's smile widened further.

“Well then, let's see what I can do.”

There was no turning back now.

Cracking his knuckles as Mako removed his glove and rolled up his sleeve, the deep red scar that crawled its way up his arm like a tangle of twisted brambles was finally made visible, some additional scarring and discoloration from popped and lacerated flesh lining its expanse from where the heat had begun tearing away at him. It wasn't something Mako much liked to look at. Combined with the pain it caused him and the beliefs he'd begun building up around it, he'd actually come to hate the thing, wanting to hide it and pretend it wasn't there. But unfortunately, it was something he'd have to carry with him for the rest of his life, one way or another.

Ready to begin, Ryuuki took a deep breath, calming his mind and preparing himself to heal, five small blue jets of fire shaped like teardrops flitting into existence around his fingertips. As he held Mako's arm out straight with his left hand and made use of his vibrantly colored flames with his right, Ryuuki first ran his fingers up and down the length of Mako's scarred flesh from just a few centimeters above, finding and tracing the paths through which his energy flowed and sensing their every twist and turn. As the exact layout varied from person to person, Ryuuki couldn't afford to make any assumptions – misdirecting its flow could be disastrous, especially if it was already weak or otherwise impeded.

“...Wow, you really are stressed out,” Ryuuki remarked, a little stunned. “I can feel a lot of knotted up energy in this arm, more than even this level of damage would cause. The Avatar was definitely right about that much, that is most definitely causing most of your pain.” Mako sighed.

“The life of a big city detective, sadly. There's no such thing as a stress-free day.” He defeatedly explained. Especially not after Kuvira...

“Mm, I suppose, but, a celebrity's life ain't so peachy either, you know. Sure, maybe I'm not chasing down criminals and following leads all the time (at least not for real), but to say I have to put up with a lot of bull and manage an unenviably busy work schedule would be an understatement. I find that meditation really helps me to release that stress peacefully and without damaging my body, though... like an emotional detox. Maybe you should try it. This much negative energy is going to end up killing you some day, whether I fix your arm or not.” Ryuuki suggested as he finished his preliminary tracing. Maybe he had a point... Korra and Tenzin both had told him that a little meditation would do him some good in the past, but...

“Now to begin with the actual healing. You may feel a little bit warm though, my flames aren't exactly normal, and your arm isn't exactly in the best of shape.” He briefly warned before swiftly placing his fingertips on top of Mako's damaged flesh, the young detective wincing a bit in pain from a surprisingly high amount of pressure suddenly being thrust onto a still-weak arm, the Firebender's flames fazing through his skin as if it wasn't even there. Had Ryuuki really used that much force, or were his flames simply that... _heavy_? It felt like he was lifting a hundred pounds.

But then suddenly, Mako could feel it – the movement and the redirection of his own chi, and the warm, almost burning sensation of what he imagined to be literal fire coursing through his veins right alongside it. Except... they weren't veins. They were deeper than that, more integral to him and his body. It was a feeling he was familiar with from his time practicing Lightningbending, like pieces of his very life force were being pulled and untwisted and shunted around. Ryuuki really _could_ tap into another person's energy with nothing more than Firebending... this guy was just...

“You... where did you even learn this?” Mako finally asked as Ryuuki worked his magic, locating and repairing the damaged parts of Mako's arm, using his and Mako's own chi to rebuild and repair the damaged pathways he'd spoken of before.

“I happened upon a shaman on a remote island who taught me the ways after being shipwrecked when I was 22.” Ryuuki began. Mako blinked. Really? “...Is what I'd like to say, but honestly, it wasn't anything nearly that cool.” Oh god damn it. “I'd been searching for them for a long time after hearing rumors of them and what they could do and arrived safe and sound on my own in a still perfectly intact one-man sailer. But, they really did teach me the ways after I found them. They were surprised to be met by somebody who didn't see Firebending as dangerous, or as some sort of weapon. That Hundred Year War really perverted our form, you know. Maybe irreparably.” Though he certainly hoped not.

“One of the perks of having money is that you can travel the world and go pretty much anywhere you want without much trouble. I know I probably don't look the part, but I'm a disciple of the old ways of Firebending, and I'm proud of my ability. The ancient teachings of the Sun Warriors, the innovations of the Deserter, the philosophies of the Dragon of the West – they all resonate with me deeply. They're all the ideal that I'm chasing after, and I'd like to think I've made some good progress on carrying on their legacy and living up to the _true_ history of Firebending.” Mako was right, there _was_ more to him than met the eye. Ryuuki was a Firebending master unlike any he'd come across before.

The detective honestly wasn't sure how much he bought his story, and the more he thought about it, the more he thought it all seemed a little bit fishy and awfully convenient, but... right now, it didn't really matter. What mattered was that it was working. He could _feel_ it working. Holes and absences he'd drowned out and overlooked were filling and becoming whole again and he could feel every single one of them. Ryuuki was _right_. He could press him for more details about his story and his technique later on, but right now, the only thing that mattered was that it was working.

As Ryuuki finished up healing Mako's arm, one more surge of heat ran down its length as the flames that Ryuuki had initially sunken in rushed out, sucked back into his fingertips where they were extinguished almost as soon as his hand was removed, not a single mark left on Mako's already burnt flesh from where they'd entered.

“There's nothing I can do about the scarring, unfortunately, but I think I've managed to repair all of the internal damage. Your arm should be as good as new now.” Ryuuki smiled. Looking down at his arm, Mako opened and closed his fist, almost feeling as though his arm was lighter, as if his limb's response time had doubled. Had he really been that sluggish before?

“...I never even realized how bad this was before... I knew my arm had gotten weaker at first, but I thought it was just some residual weakness or from the scar or something, I thought it'd gone away, but this...” He'd been in such a dark, stressed out place, he hadn't really noticed it before... he hadn't really noticed that all of that sluggishness and weakness never really went away, that his arm never actually started healing. It'd just become his new normal, a fucked up arm to match his fucked up life, and he never thought twice about any of it. But not anymore.

“Lightning is an extraordinary power. Almost as extraordinary is the risk it carries. Never underestimate the kind of damage it can do to you, and in the future, try not to be so heroically reckless.” Ryuuki half-joked, Mako's face turning to a wide, relieved and unbelieving smile.

“Thank you... I don't even know what to... thank you!” He couldn't remember the last time he hadn't felt any pain. Maybe mover stars weren't so bad after all. As his order finally got fulfilled, the purpose of his drinking had shifted yet again, having gone from fun to misery to celebration in the span of 20 minutes, the instability of the night's mood making his head spin more than the alcohol was.

Closing his eyes and smiling, Ryuuki took pride in the detective's joy, watching as he contemplated whether or not he should run over and tell his brother, who was still in a bit of a down and vulnerable state. Probably not the best idea, Mako reasoned, ultimately staying behind but clearly expressing his joy at being free from the pain he was feeling not even 5 minutes ago.

Honestly, in the rush of excitement, Mako had almost forgotten his earlier misgivings with Ryuuki's story and the questions about his technique and potentially learning it for himself, catching himself as he reached for his drink and turning back around to face the man, opening his mouth to question him further. Unfortunately for Mako, however, Varrick had returned to the bar, grabbing hold of Ryuuki's arm and insisting that he formally meet Suyin and try to help cheer her up or take her mind off of Opal, claiming that she was a fan of his movers.

Neither Mako or Ryuuki seemed terribly eager for the mover star to walk away right now, but when Varrick insisted something, that something usually happened, and this was no exception. Before Mako could interrupt and Ryuuki could even get a word in, the billionaire had grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him across the room.

Mako sighed, shaking his head and making a mental note to try and follow up with Ryuuki later. So far as he knew, he'd be in town for the rest of the month helping rebuild the Pro Bending Arena... plenty of time to try and get some answers out of him. With as perfect as the timing was, he figured Varrick must've been half-watching them, waiting until Ryuuki was done healing Mako's arm before walking over to quite literally pull him away. But at least he'd waited a little while, Mako supposed.

Looking back down at his left hand, he smiled, returning his glove and sleeve to the arm in question and taking a sip of his drink. At least one good thing came out of tonight. He just hoped the situation with Opal could be resolved in an equally joyous manner.

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

“Augh!” The man in the United Forces uniform cried out, a concussive blast of Airbending fury delivered to his abdomen sweeping him off his feet and throwing him into the wall of the break room. As he dropped from the wall and onto his hands and knees, he rubbed his back, staggering back onto his feet and raising his arms in a defensive, bending-ready position. Honestly, this was just his luck... of _course_ he had to be one of the unlucky 7 tasked with guarding Kuvira, of _course_ he couldn't stay on active duty defending the borders of the Republic – this took precedence! His Waterbending expertise was _perfect_ for this prison's location!

If it were up to him, this woman would've been hanged ages ago, but orders were orders, and unfortunately, said orders now had him dealing with one _very_ pissed off Airbender, and if the Red Lotus incident proved anything, it was that you did _not_ want to piss off an Airbender. Hastily performing the motions to Waterbend said Airbender out of the sky, Opal's assault continued, another blow to his abdomen interrupting his movements and throwing him yet again into the wooden wall behind him, this time with enough force to send him barreling straight through it, leaving him lying motionless in what was once the guard's break room.

And as she carried out her attack on the prison platform, his 6 coworkers fared no better, all of them sent flying with attacks they could barely even see while Korra just watched, trying her hardest to stay out of Opal's line-of-sight and praying that nobody else saw her and alerted the Beifong to her presence. As another guard was propelled through the air right past the wooden tower she was hiding behind, hitting the ground with a skid and a thud, the Avatar winced, hoping it'd all be over soon.

Honestly, Korra _hated_ moral quandaries like these, they were one of the single worst aspects of her job. These on-the-fly judgment calls, the ones that usually resulted in somebody ending up hurt, oftentimes leaving her only with the choice as to whether that somebody was one person or multiple people. On the one hand, she was the Avatar, and that meant part of her job was to protect, and from her perspective, letting Opal go around knocking soldiers of the United Forces unconscious when they'd done nothing wrong wasn't conducive to a job well done. But on the other hand, if she were to interfere, Opal would almost immediately be alerted to her presence, and given what everyone was assuming Opal intended to do (Korra included), that would probably lead to a fight breaking out between the two of them, a fight that Korra would like to avoid, if at all possible.

So, as tough of a decision as it was, Korra went against her natural instinct to interfere and allowed Opal to take out the military personnel, checking on those she could when she could whenever the Airbender's attention was somewhere else. Thankfully, from what Korra had seen and the one or two motionless guards she'd inspected, Opal really did appear to only be knocking them out, indicating that, as angry as she may have been, she still had sense enough to not take that rage out on anybody other than Kuvira.

Which, honestly, only made Korra more worried. The guards would be sore as hell when they woke up, but at least they'd live. But given the look she saw in Opal's eyes when she stormed out that door, given where her rage had led them, Korra somehow doubted Kuvira would be so lucky.

As the thumps and grunts and sounds of bending came to an end, Korra's total focus returned to the platform, her friend thankfully yet to have spotted her. The intrinsic darkness of the night combined with the tower she was hiding behind and the shadow it cast in the moonlight left her pretty well concealed unless Opal was actively looking for her, so when she heard the two taps of feet as she came in for a landing a 3 or 4 yards from her location, Korra let out an inaudible sigh of relief, looking at first with her ears to gauge the direction Opal was moving and then with her eyes when she was sure it was opposite her own. As expected, she appeared to be walking straight for the wooden cage in the center of the prison platform.

Korra may not have been able to see her face from this angle, but she didn't need to in order to know what Opal was thinking. There was fury in her movements. Korra had to get a closer look at what was going on. She could barely see the two of them from here, let alone hear whatever it was they were talking about; she had to make sure Opal didn't do something rash, something she'd regret. Looking around the platform, she noticed the hole in the wall to the break room that Opal had created with an unfortunate guard and the darkness left by the lamp knocked down onto the floor by the earlier battle. If you could call such a one-sided picking off of unprepared soldiers a battle, anyway. It was more of an ambush, than anything.

Making ample use of the movements taught to her by Tenzin three years prior and some minor Airbending to quiet her footsteps on the creaky wooden platform, she quickly and quietly moved from her former position to the inside of the broken break room, peering out from a glassless window at Opal and Kuvira in front of her. Or at least... she assumed the person in that cell was Kuvira. Even in the darkness of the night, the moon afforded light enough for Korra to see that the woman in that cage was tattered and broken, obvious both by her ratty old clothes and the emptiness in her eyes, eyes aglow in the pale blue hue of the moon above.

She almost couldn't believe she was looking at the same woman she was almost three months ago, on that day in Republic City. The defeatedness on her face, the weariness of her glare as she turned and halfheartedly stared down the girl approaching her... any traces of the once-proud conqueror she had fought were gone now. All that remained was a tired, bitter shell. The look on her face... as Opal drew closer, close enough to get a good look at her, Kuvira immediately masked that tiredness with an arrogant smile, putting on the front of a Kuvira that Opal knew well.

But Korra knew better than that. She knew that face better than almost anyone. That forced smile, that false confidence... whatever it was the United Republic had done to her – if it had done anything at all – Kuvira was completely broken.

“Well, well, well... of all the people I expected to come and kill me, I never would've guessed that it'd be you. I should've known better. Finally coming out of mommy's shadow?” Kuvira taunted, relying upon a farce of her old persona, a haughtiness that the Avatar didn't buy for a minute, but which appeared to have stoked the flames of anger in Opal's heart as her fists clenched tighter with every word. Already, Kuvira was getting to her. This... was not going to go well.

“Honestly, I thought _she'd_ be the one to actually do me in. In fact, when she accompanied me down here today, I thought that was exactly what she had planned, and she was just bringing her sister along to cover for her like her mother did all those years ago. But to think _you_ would be the one to come all the way out here in the middle of the night... well, I guess even the teachings of the Air Nomads can't tame a Beifong, huh? Here to pick up her slack?”

A rhetorical question, Korra assumed; Kuvira seemed to neither want or expect an answer. But she wondered, what did Kuvira hope to gain from this? As she was, just sitting there in the center of her cell, her head turned to look at a girl who must've been like a sister to her in the past, her intentions were indecipherable. All that could be ascertained from the look upon her face was exhaustion, but from her words alone, she almost seemed to be tempting Opal and toying with her emotions, daring her to move. Korra shuddered to wonder if she actually would.

“Shut up...” Opal mumbled as the prisoner carried on. It was all she could think to reply with, but her voice was much too meek. Was she having second thoughts, or had Kuvira's right off the bat arrogance and accusations thrown her for a loop? Or was she actually listening to Kuvira talk, hoping she'd say something different given the circumstances, praying there was still some hope left for her? Her intentions were as much a mystery to Korra as Kuvira's were. It seemed to be a family trait, even if Kuvira _was_ adopted.

“You know, when you first left for the Air Temples, I thought it might actually do you some good. Finally standing up to your mother, finally getting what you wanted from your life, finally showing some _ambition_... no one ever really understood how such a timid girl could come from such an arrogantly boisterous legacy. I was so proud of you. I mean, up until then, you really were a mystery, weren't you? So shy, so quiet, so reserved, never once letting your true feelings out... you were a fragile flower and the jewel of Zaofu, and even if you couldn't bend, everybody loved you. And how couldn't they? You always seemed like such a nice, beautiful, agreeable little girl... but that never really _was_ the case, was it, Opal?”

The prisoner's prodding clearly had Opal growing more and more enraged by the second, her fists shaking and – unseen to Korra – her eyes shut tight with frustration, as if she was trying to drown out Kuvira's words and face and whatever memories they may have been stirring, as if she was regretting her decision to come here. Three minutes in and she was already under her skin. Opal was already trembling.

“Shut up.” She repeated beneath her breath, more sure now than when she'd mumbled it the first time. But if it was loud enough for Kuvira to hear, she didn't care. In fact, she only seemed to smile wider when she saw just how upset Opal was getting, standing up from her seated position and walking over to the wooden bars between them, grabbing hold of them and staring the young Beifong down with her cold, green eyes. Tired and defeated though they were, their steely sheen remained untarnished.

“No, I saw who you _really_ were, right from the start. All of the jealousy and contempt... really, it's kind of funny looking back on it now. You genuinely seemed to believe that your mom liked me more than you and treated me like I was some sort of a threat to your position in the family. That you could ever even think that in the first place is more a reflection on Suyin than anything else, but given how you used to be and knowing what she prides and expects in others, especially in those directly beneath her, I guess that was a pretty fair assessment. I mean, you weren't very much to be proud of, were you? And your mom did love having things to be proud of. Trophies she could brag about. That's all that people like you and me are to her, you know. Trophies. More achievements in her life to gush about, like _she_ _'s_ directly responsible for everything we do or accomplish. I guess even you understood that on some level, given how viciously you treated me whenever something went wrong. And now here you are, ready to unload on me again, for, what, revenge, now?” She asked in an amused tone.

“Shut up!” Opal demanded louder than before, her eyes opening and tearing up and her fists, somehow, clenching even tighter, the nails digging into her palms threatening to draw blood. There was no denying that this time she was heard, but still Kuvira pressed on, undeterred by the Airbender's mounting frustration, not yet finished with her train of thought. Clearly, she was aiming to dismantle whatever semblance of a calm facade Opal had left. Every word and topic broached was clearly carefully chosen, she knew exactly what she was doing. Korra just couldn't figure out _why_ she was doing it. If there was ever a time to stop instigating and start apologizing...

“But revenge for what? For what I did to your family? Hmm... no, knowing you, that's probably what you told everybody else, but that's not the truth, is it, Opal? No, you never liked me. This is personal for you. You couldn't care less about what I did to your family, you probably don't even really like them all that much by this point. You're old enough by now to see them for what they are, for what _she_ is. No, to you, this is your chance to finally put me behind you and take revenge for me stealing all of mommy's attention, right? To prove yourself the superior daughter and snuff me out once and for all while feeling all good about yourself for killing the big bad monster that blew up Republic City and going down a martyr, right? A hero, even! Why, they would build monuments in your honor! “Opal Beifong: The hero who succeeded where the law had failed and took down the Great Uniter”! But you and I know the truth. Why you're _really_ here. I'm just curious if you're actually going to do it.” Reluctantly, so was Korra.

“SHUT UP!” Opal screamed into the night, her anger finally exploding outward in a gust of wind not unlike what she'd created back at the bar. But like Korra before her, Kuvira stood tall and unafraid, her look unshifting as her clothes lashed about in the veritable maelstrom settled seconds later. Was this what Kuvira wanted? Any more of this and there was no telling what Opal would do. Was that the point of all of this? To see if Opal would actually do it, or at least try? Was she trying to show Opal the error of her ways somehow, or was she using her as a means of suicide? Korra wanted nothing more than to intervene right here and now, but she couldn't. Not yet. Not until Opal actually tried something. One way or another, however this went down, Opal needed this. Korra couldn't interfere until she took it too far.

“I'm sick of this! I'm sick of you!” Opal continued, desperation in her voice. If Kuvira was exhausted, Opal was at the end of her rope. She'd been trying to hold it together for a long, long time now. “All you ever do is take, and destroy, and you just _always_ have to be the best, don't you!? Always so good and perfect at everything... a prodigy, they say! A prodigy at being an arrogant bitch, maybe!” Opal spat out, laughing, incapable of believing what she was hearing. “You're fucking incredible... even now, even when you're backed into a corner, you just can't help yourself, can you? You just have to act like you're in control, you just _have_ to try and drag me down, just like you always have! To make _me_ seem like the bad guy! Wow, you're a piece of work.” She accused. Kuvira could only laugh.

“ _I_ dragged _you_ down? Ha, that's rich! You were always the one with the vendetta, Opal. I have nothing against you personally, and I've never actively tried to take anything from you. Anything you lost or think you lost, you lost on your own by refusing to speak your mind. What happened during the unification was never personal. I was just doing what I thought I had to for the sake of my country. Quite frankly, you never even factored into my equations. None of you did. Does that mean I didn't revel in a little well-earned vengeance, though? No, of course, not, but you were just as insignificant to me as the rest of your family, just one more obstacle to be removed. Nothing more, nothing less. Whatever animosity there is between us, whatever personal issue it is you _think_ you have with me, it's entirely of your own design, just like it's always has been.” The prisoner proclaimed, “defending” her innocence.

Korra couldn't tell how much of what she was saying Kuvira actually believed, but if any of it was true, then things between Opal and Kuvira were even worse than she'd thought. If Opal was capable of half of the things Kuvira was implying... she really hoped she wouldn't have to step in, but Kuvira seemed to be indicating that she may have no other choice. Biting her lower lip, Korra listened on as Opal replied, trying to get a better read on the situation by getting a better understanding of the history between the two of them.

“ _I_ _t was_ _never_ _personal_? Please, that's bullshit and you know it! And even if it wasn't, do you honestly believe that somehow makes it better? We gave you everything, Kuvira. My mom easily could've left you to die on the street, or placed you with another family, but instead, she took you in and treated you like her own, we all did. And how do you repay us? You storm out of Zaofu with half of our Metalbenders over an argument with my mother and tear _my_ family apart. Everybody knows about how badly you and my mom fell out before you took off, and yet you have the gall to say that it was _nothing personal_? That we were just in your way? I don't think even _you_ buy that one.” Opal accused, unable to help herself from smiling at how ridiculous this whole thing was.

“You can frame it however you like, but there came a point where nothing else mattered to me but the mission. Nothing.” Kuvira claimed. Opal's expression shifted as she thought of her brother and how Kuvira attacked the place he was being held captive in an attempt to kill Korra, knowing full well that he was there. So was that her mindset at the time? She really _was_ dangerous... “I'm not saying it was right, I'm just saying it's a fact. Contrary to what you may believe, my world doesn't revolve around you, Opal. Like I said before, you barely even factored into it, during the Unification attempt _or_ while we were growing up. I'm not the golden child you thought your mom saw me as, things weren't as skewed in my favor as you thought they were, but no matter how many times I tried to tell you that, you just wouldn't listen. And that's why you're _really_ here.” The Airbender grit her teeth.

“Oh, and here we go with _that_ again... honestly, if what you're saying is even _remotely_ true, then what _possible_ reason could I have for being here right now? Why would I even bother? If our messed up excuse of a childhood was the only problem I had with you, if I was as jealous of you as you say I was, then why wouldn't I be celebrating right now?” Rhetorical or not, Kuvira had an answer, and before Opal could continue with her rebuttal, she was going to give it.

“Because you realized that even now that you're an Airbender, your mother _still_ isn't proud of you, and yet, even after everything I've done, she still speaks of _me_ as if I was the greatest thing to ever happen to her, and how losing me was one of the greatest disappointments of her life.” The Great Uniter interrupted, Opal freezing where she stood, blindsided. How did she...? Kuvira's grin widened. Bull's eye.

“Sure, maybe she's more proud of you now than she was before, but not as much as she could be. You and I both know she's always wanted a daughter who was like her, who could Metalbend. What use is an Airbender to her or her vision of the Beifong Legacy? Even after all of the terrible things I've done, what pisses you off the most is that she still talks about me more, she still relates to _me_ more. Even after all you've done to help the world and rebuild Republic City, I'd bet you all she talks about is me, right? And then there was the trial – she was involved in that every step of the way! I bet you there was no time left in her life for you, or Zaofu, or Republic City... yet again, I was soaking up all of her time and attention in your mind, wasn't I?” She asked. “That's what _really_ pisses you off about me. I'm a crazed ex-dictator and Suyin _still_ likes me more. I should've solved both of our problems and killed her when I had the chance instead of sticking her in a cage to rot.”

“You _bitch_!” Opal lashed out, just barely restraining herself from ripping out her throat right then and there. How dare she. How _dare_ she go there. That wasn't true... it couldn't be true! Opal's mind was racing almost as fast as her heart, tears streaming from her eyes as she stood seething in anger, a sight which caused Kuvira to laugh. She really was deluding herself, the Metalbender thought.

“Tell me I'm wrong.” She dared. Opal had no response, caught up in her racing thoughts with teeth and fists clenched so tight she felt as though one of the two were going to break. “I bet you had a whole speech prepared for tonight, didn't you? So much you wanted to say, so much you wanted to get off your chest and take out on me, so many wonderful justifications for thinking what you're thinking right now. You've probably wanted me dead from day one, just like your mother, for reasons just as selfish as hers. But while Suyin may have been lashing out from pain, you just wanted to see the girl who you thought took everything from you hang for it.” Kuvira reasoned with a shrug. Opal didn't miss a beat.

“You're wrong.” She declared, taking Kuvira's dare. The prisoner cocked an eyebrow. Really now? “Okay, yeah, we had a rocky childhood, but constantly having to deal with somebody who lied to and manipulated everybody around them can do that. You were a hell of a bender, but that wasn't enough for you. You had to have everything. You had to be on everybody's good side, to be everybody's favorite. You always had to shine brighter than anyone. Brighter than me, brighter than my brothers, brighter than the whole damn city, and you did anything you could in order to achieve that, no matter how cruel, underhanded or emotionally manipulative or abusive it may have been. You say that it was my fault, that anything that happened only happened because I never spoke my mind, but you conveniently gloss over _why_ that was. Do you even realize how much you cut me down when we were younger? How horrible you were to me? Are you really that far gone, that starved for attention, that you don't understand how anything you did or said could affect me?” Opal asked. For once, Kuvira was silent.

“You tormented me! For years! You _made_ me feel worthless! Not just with what you did, or how much time my mom spent with you, or how you were a bender – you deliberately tried to make me feel like I was nothing, just so you could feel better about yourself! Because no matter how good you were, it was never good enough. You always, _always_ wanted more. More love, more attention, more of _my_ mom's time, no matter what you had to do to get it. So you rigged the game in your favor. You tore me down to build yourself up, constantly. And you were real subtle about it, too. You knew _exactly_ how to get under my skin, you knew _exactly_ what words to say, _exactly_ how to keep me stuck in my head, afraid to speak my mind and be myself. You had me convinced that I was a disappointment, that if I did anything my mom didn't like that I'd be disowned, that I was a failure! _You_ did that! And nobody ever believed me, least of all mom and Bataar... but I guess you had your claws sunken deepest into them, huh? And you just wouldn't stop pulling on them until you'd torn them away from me completely. Well, congratulations. You got your wish, and you just threw them away, anyway. Fuck you, you selfish bitch.”

The way Opal's voice cracked at the end made Korra's heart sink. She knew that Kuvira could be cruel, but did she really do all of that? Had she really been like this her whole life? Korra couldn't see Opal's face from her position, but with as distraught as her voice was becoming, she wasn't sure she wanted to. Whatever it was she came here for, Korra doubted it was this. But Opal's outburst finally seemed to shut Kuvira up, the former dictator just standing there, not saying much of anything, the smile on her face having long since faded. She wasn't sure that Kuvira was expecting this, either. But this was exactly what they needed to be talking about and resolving. This was exactly what Opal needed to confront if she was going to move on. Otherwise, she'd be caught up in all of her anger and her hatred forever.

“You make it sound so simple.” Kuvira finally said, her voice similarly shaky, at least at first. “The way you tell it, you'd make it seem as though that attitude didn't go both ways. You felt so threatened by me that you made it a point to routinely bring up my parents disowning me and me being an orphan as if it was indicative of my worth. I made _you_ feel like you were nothing? No, you made _me_ feel like _I_ was nothing, something I already felt all on my own. I don't think you realize just how broken and desperate for stability I really was. Maybe you're right. Maybe I was a little cruel to you. But tell me, who was cruel first? The sad little girl without a family, dying for support, or the insecure little rich girl, afraid that the orphan was gonna take away all her mother's attention? Anything I did, I did in retaliation. That's all.” She claimed, standing firm in what she said. The bravado from before was gone. For maybe the first time all night, Korra felt like every word Kuvira was saying was completely honest. This much, she actually seemed to believe.

“Right. It was all my fault. I'm the bad guy. Not the cruel, manipulative dictator who forced the territories back together out of fear and created prison camps to weed out the people she didn't deem Earth Kingdom enough to be a part of her empire, _she_ did nothing wrong in the history of ever! Of course! I guess I must've inherited my grandma's blindness, because it's just so _obvious_ when you put it _that_ way!” The Beifong snapped sarcastically. It was the kind of outburst that would've left Toph feeling proud.

“Yes, well, guess who helped reinforce the fears and behaviors that created that dictator?” Kuvira spat back. Opal shook her head.

“First you blame my mom for you doing what you did, and now you're blaming me? Maybe it's not us who are the problem, Kuvira. Maybe it's just you. Maybe it's always just been you. Have you ever thought about that?” Kuvira swallowed, a bitter look on her face. She'd thought about that far more than Opal knew.

“Trust me, I've had a long time to think, about that and about everything else. I know exactly where _I_ stand in all of this, Opal. Do you?” She asked.

“Yeah, I do. And unlike you, it's on the right side.” Opal said, sounding as though she were assuring herself as much as she was Kuvira. She'd come too far to turn back now. She wasn't going to just give up and let Kuvira win. Not again. _Never_ again.

“Tch, get off your damn high ostrich horse. You're not the saint you want everybody to think you are, Opal, yourself included. If you were, you wouldn't be wasting all this time arguing with me, you wouldn't even be here right now. Which reminds me... why are you _really_ here, Opal? What do you _really_ want from me?” She asked.

“You know why I'm here.” The Beifong proper replied, some meekness returning to her voice.

“But do _you_?” Opal was silent. “I know you came here to kill me. That much is obvious, and honestly, I can't really blame you. There are a dozen reasons why you would, why you _should_. Regardless of our childhood and whatever it was that did or didn't happen between us, I really did become a terrible person in the end, and I recognize that now. I accept that now. But didn't you, too?” Kuvira asked, staring directly into Opal's eyes. But it was a gaze she couldn't keep – the Airbender turned away almost immediately, and when she did, and Korra caught a glimpse of her face, she almost thought she saw regret, and even more than that, _guilt_.

“To come all the way out here against everybody's wishes, against the law, _just_ to take revenge on a girl in a cage... don't you think that makes you just as bad as me? Just to _think_ that? And yet you want to stand there, say it isn't personal, and then call _that_ justice? You want to call _that_ the “right side”? Please. You're not stupid. You're a lot of things, Opal, but stupid was _never_ one of them. If you want to kill me, fine. Do it. But at least have the dignity to cut the crap and be honest about your reasons why. Stop trying to delude yourself and just admit it – this isn't right, and you know it. You just don't care.”

The silence between Opal and Kuvira after that accusation was deafening. She'd gotten to her. All of the lines she'd been practicing in her head, all of he justifications she'd built up around herself, all of the anger boiling in her blood that she'd sworn was righteous, everything she'd thought or prepared up until this moment was suddenly revealed for what it was so... effortlessly. Opal didn't expect herself to crumble the second that she saw Kuvira's face, but Kuvira did. When she saw the look in Opal's eyes, Kuvira _did_. She didn't even have to try. She knew Opal too well and Opal hated it, hated that this had to be so difficult, hated that she had to feel so conflicted. After everything Kuvira had done, this should've been simple, easy, clean. But it wasn't. And Kuvira was right. She couldn't hide from that.

Korra watched on with bated breath, swallowing hard as she waited for Opal's response, hoping that it would be a good one, that she'd just walk away from here and leave it at this. Kuvira had gotten to her, and she could see that, _Opal_ could see that. The only question now would be whether or not she'd listen to her compassion, something Korra knew she had in abundance, or listen to her anger, which she knew the feeling of all too well. It was a difficult temptation to resist and she prayed that Opal was strong enough to resist it, and as Opal initially inhaled and then exhaled deeply, her fists loosening, looking as though she were calming herself down, she thought that maybe that would be the case. But, as she finally opened her mouth to speak and her body language changed, it became clear that the ending to tonight was not going to be a happy one.

“...You're right.” The Beifong finally replied, shrugging her shoulders, shaking her head and flashing Kuvira a defeated look, dragging her hand down her face and exhaling sharply, giving her next actions one last thought before she followed through. For a moment, it looked as though the dictator's eyes narrowed and looked in the break room's direction, a response that piqued Korra's suspicion, but before she could contemplate it any deeper, Opal continued. “You're right, I don't. I don't know why I'm here, and I don't care that I don't know. I do want you dead and I don't care that I do, and I don't know why. But I do know one thing.” She suggested very matter-of-factly, her bright green eyes now staring directly into the prisoner's as she made her final decision.

This time, she kept the gaze.

“You _do_ deserve this.”

Kuvira smiled.

Korra snarled, pulling water up between the floor boards from the moonlit sea below, sad and angry and disappointed and annoyed that it'd come to this, that Opal was this far gone. She couldn't let this drag on any longer, there was no denying what she was about to do anymore, she had no choice but to step in and put a stop to this now, before it was to late. The Avatar's duty extended beyond friendship and understanding.

And, as she twitched to move forward, as she first shifted her body to best leap out from her position and _command_ her friend to stop, assuming her friend was even still in there beneath all that hatred somewhere, Opal herself made a very familiar set of motions, and in that instant, Korra's heart skipped a beat.

“No...” She whimpered, her body freezing in place as the water she'd only just begun to summon sloshed back into the sea below. Her eyes widened and her breath grew shallow, a bead of sweat rolling down her face, the air escaping the Avatar's lungs as Opal summoned hers to remove Kuvira's from her chest.

It was Zaheer's technique. The one that had nearly killed her, the one that _had_ killed the Earth Queen, the one that'd spurred Kuvira into taking action in the first place.

The technique that, along with the poison, had caused her, _the Avatar_ , 3 years of pain and suffering and psychological torment like she hoped Opal would never be able to comprehend.

It was the technique that had cost Korra, the person, almost everything, banned the second Zaheer was put away, never to be used again.

And now, it was to be the technique that would exact Opal's revenge.

Korra's mouth went dry and her stomach sank like a stone as a lump rose up into her throat, her eyes burning, tears wanting to well up and cool them down, though she struggled to push them back. But as she did, memories rose up in their place, sensations of phantom pain flooding the entirety of her anatomy she had to remind herself weren't reeal. The visions of her near-death experience began replaying in her mind again and again, a sense of dread briefly taking hold and threatening to spill out in a cry of fear and pain and helplessness that would break her down again after she'd finally managed to build herself back up.

But she fought.

Korra closed her eyes, forcing the lump still caught her throat back down where it belonged as Kuvira was lifted up into the air by the storm that was now raging all around her, the storm under Opal's control.

And as Kuvira's body was held in place by the currents in case she tried to bend her way out and escape, twitching in pain as she choked on nothing, feeling as though her lungs were being pulled inside-out as she watched the breath literally escape her, Korra's eyes opened up again. She knew it wouldn't belong before Kuvira lost consciousness or died. She couldn't waste time being caught up in the past again, not after she'd fought so long to finally move on from it, not after she'd come so far.

So, she fought again.

She fought and she fought and she fought again, brawling with the images in her head and forcing those memories back into the place that they belonged, back into the back of her mind, she pushed all that fear back down and she reminded herself that that fight was over now.

She was not going to let history repeat itself.

She was not going let that awful technique be used again.

 _Never_ again.

She had to move, she begged her body to move, _commanded_ it, and at last it obeyed her, inhaling sharply with righteous fury as her eyes snapped open, the water now smashing through the wooden floor below her and rising up to meet her as a weapon at the ready.

“ENOUGH!” With the cry of a familiar voice aimed squarely in her direction, Opal froze, her body locking tight and rigid and her movements completely stopped, the storm around Kuvira's head and body dissipating as she fell onto her hands and knees, instinctively gasping for air though half her mind was screaming at her not to, as the disappointed look on her face may have indicated.

“You shouldn't have interfered...” Kuvira hissed beneath her still uncaught breath. For now, Korra paid her no mind.

Shakily inhaling, Opal closed her eyes, swallowed once, and turned around, scared by the thought of what she was about to see, about what was now seconds away from happening. What she'd now, through her actions, assured herself was going to happen.

“...Korra?” She asked weakly, tinges of sadness, fear, and regret alight in her eyes all at once as Korra stared her down with fury unlike anything she had ever seen before.

The Avatar was _pissed_.

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Asami wasn't planning on getting drunk tonight. Really, she wasn't, celebration and all! But with one of her best friends out for blood, her fiancee chasing said friend down, her best guy friend a broken mess in the corner, and the vice president of her company having suddenly disappeared from the face of the Earth, she was finding it hard to not just keep ordering drinks from the man behind the counter. While she hadn't had enough yet to be flat-out drunk, she was certainly tipsy, and with a hefty sigh and a glance at the clock, her trepidations were reinforced, her mind drifting back to Opal and Kuvira and the mess they'd dragged her fiancee into. Why did everything always have to be so complicated? Why couldn't they just relax and at least _pretend_ to be normal for once?

But, that was the risk one took when they chose to become close with the Avatar, she supposed.

Perhaps the only one not in a bad mood tonight was the guy who'd been in one the entire week and a half prior, the ever-delightful detective Mako. Mentioning something about Ryuuki healing his arm with Firebending, she was beginning to wonder if maybe he'd been the one to have a bit too much to drink. I mean, really, _that_ guy? A healer? He was a talented actor, but... well, he reminded her more of Prince Wu than some sagely healer-type. Besides, Korra had already said there was nothing more that could be done that hadn't been done already, so as far as Asami was concerned, that was that. But, at least he was happy for a change, drunken delusions or not – it'd been a while since she'd seen it either way.

...But, then again, Ryuuki DID fight alongside Korra and her friends during the Chi Eater's attack and lived to tell the tale. Even Korra had spoken pretty highly of his abilities, stating how she was surprised how he'd stepped up to the plate and even more surprised he was so powerful. Something about “flames that looked like the sky”, or something? The alcohol was making it a little hard to remember, but... whatever. She had too much else on her mind right now to really put much thought into it.

Another quick look at the clock and her brow furrowed. Not with anger, but with concern. A half an hour had already passed, half of the already halved hour-long deadline President Raiko had issued unbeknownst to Korra, who had initially asked for two. All she could really do right now was hope that things were going more smoothly on her end than they were here. This place was just depressing right now.

Asami looked around the room.

Lin and Raiko had broken away from the crowd and were currently in the middle of what appeared to be a very heated conversation. He was probably having her coordinate their forces now so they'd be ready to go the second Korra's hour was up. She'd have thought Raiko would be a bit less ambivalent to Korra by now.

Tenzin also appeared to have gotten involved in the two's discussion. Considering Raiko was asking for Air Nation support, it made sense.

Mako had returned to his brother's side in her stead, and while he showed worry and concern for Bolin and his girlfriend, he still seemed somehow... happier, than before. Could there really be something to his story after all?

She looked around for Ryuuki, finding him currently ensnared by Varrick. It appeared as though Ryuuki's, Suyin's and the remainder of the Beifong family's ears were currently caught by some overly dramatic tale of his, the eccentric billionaire wildly flailing his arms ranting about something related to... penguin sledding? He was probably trying to help in his own way, she supposed, trying to take everybody's minds off everything, but it _probably_ wasn't as much of a help as he thought it was.

His almost omnipresent wife, Zhu Li, however, appeared to be missing from the table, having broken away from the crowd a few moments prior to take a seat at the selfsame bar as Asami, some four or five stools away from her. Well, it beat drinking alone, she supposed. Standing up to walk a little bit closer to the overburdened newlywed, Asami put on the best smile she could manage given the circumstances and put her hand on the stool right next to Zhu Li's.

“Mind if I sit here?” She asked, prompting a confused look from her would-be drinking partner. “Sorry, you looked a little lonely. Besides... it's better not to drink alone, right?” She seemed nervous... unusual for the ever on-point inventor. Was it another effect of the alcohol, or her relative unfamiliarity with Zhu Li? She was never the most sociable woman, after all...

“Oh. No, I don't mind.” Zhu Li replied simply, granting the CEO her permission before turning her head back to her glass, silent as ever. Asami gave a quick, very Korra-esque pout. This wasn't going very well. She didn't really know what to say, and from the looks of it, neither did Zhu Li. Or rather, she just never really had all that much to say in the first place. She supposed that with a war no longer imminent, herself and her husband no longer conscripted to a psycho dictator's army, and a city no longer under immediate threat of attack, she'd gone back to her usual, distant self. It made sense, but Asami thought it was nice seeing her so ready and willing to take charge like that for once. She was kind of hoping it was a permanent thing. It almost seemed like it was last week, but... well, Asami had kind of ruined that.

“...Um, I'm, uh, sorry about your arm, by the way.” The CEO spoke up, trying to break the silence and looking more than a little ashamed. “I, uh... I hope I didn't hurt you too bad...” To be fair though, she _really_ needed that mech suit.

“Huh? Oh, no, no, don't worry about it, you didn't.” Zhu Li replied with a short laugh. “You really surprised me back there... I know you're engaged to the Avatar, but you're a pretty good fighter, yourself.” She marveled, taking another sip of her drink. Asami chuckled. It was about what one could expect from such a powerful figure's fiancee, particularly after Aang and Katara. “Republic City's Power Couple”, they'd been dubbed. At least they were being welcomed with open arms; Korra and Asami both had honestly had a few worries about that.

“Yeah, well, I _was_ a highly trained Equalist-to-be, I guess.” The awkwardness quickly returned with that comment, if only for Asami. She didn't like to think of her training like that, but... it was a distinct possibility she couldn't ignore. Was her instructor an Equalist, too? She hadn't seen him in years. It wouldn't surprise her, in all honesty. Knowing her dad, she was probably... well, now she was starting to go down a rabbit hole she'd rather stay out of, the night was bad enough as it was; she'd just blame the slip-up on the alcohol. “...I can fight if I need to, or if others need me to. That's all.” She shrugged.

“And I guess she needed you to?” Zhu Li asked, referring of course to Korra. Asami smirked and Zhu Li shook her head. “Ah, right, sorry, you probably wouldn't have stolen our suit like that if she didn't...” She caught herself, blushing slightly. It was kind of a stupid question, thinking back on it. But, Asami responded to it nevertheless.

“She probably wouldn't be here right now if I didn't. You kind of just... ...got in the way?” She winced, not particularly fond of her phrasing, but unable to think of a more concise way to put it. “So... yeahhh... sorry about that.” She apologized again. Zhu Li smiled.

“Like I said, don't worry about it. I know _exactly_ what it's like having an overly stubborn, dangerously headstrong partner constantly getting themselves into trouble.” She remarked, motioning her head over her shoulder and at Varrick, who had just thrown his arms up wildly again for the sake of over-emphasizing whatever scene in whatever story it was that he was telling everybody about his past this time. At least it was keeping their minds off of Opal for now. “Honestly, I have no idea how they'd survive without us.” Asami laughed, perhaps a bit harder than she would've without the alcohol.

“Hey, somebody's gotta be the responsible one, right? We can't all be eccentric billionaires or out saving the world all the time.” She stated, her drinking partner nodding in agreement.

“Yeah... but it's not hard to fall for the ones who are, huh?” Zhu Li asked. Asami smiled warmly. No... no, she supposed it wasn't. As a much less awkward silence befell the two of them, the two women took a little time to collect their thoughts, likely thinking fondly of their respective partners, before the conversation between the two of them continued. This time, however, it was the newlywed who broke the silence, deciding now to change the topic. “What happened to Mr. Ravi, by the way? I was looking for him a little bit earlier, but he kind of disappeared...” Asami frowned slightly at the mention. She'd been wondering the same thing.

“Good question.” She replied, a look of worry on her face. Asami had wanted him to get out and relax a little, and now it seemed like he'd just up and ditched her, which totally wasn't like him at all. She wasn't sure _what_ had gotten into him, but it couldn't have been anything good with as abrupt an exit as he'd apparently made.

“...? Is everything alright? He seemed pretty shaken up when he saw that guy at your table earlier. Who was that, anyway?” Asami raised an eyebrow. He did? That was odd... did he know who Atsushi was?

“Oh, him... according to Mako, he's the leader of the Agni Kais. Or, suspected leader, anyway. Some sort of really talented Firebender, I would imagine. You said Ravi seemed shaken up when he saw him...?”

“Like he'd seen a ghost.” Zhu Li responded almost immediately. “As soon as he saw him head toward your table, he immediately excused himself and walked over to intervene. Maybe he recognized who he was? I know the Triads have been really bad around here lately, and he's been in charge of rebuilding the city the last couple of months while you were away... Future Industries and its crews probably bumped into Atsushi and his goons a few times.” She rationalized. Asami hummed, not entirely buying it, but begrudgingly accepting the possibility.

“I guess...” She said, still unsure. She trusted Ravi a lot. He wouldn't be the vice president of her company right now if she didn't. But Asami had to admit, she really worried about that man, sometimes. She knew it mustn't easy for him growing up on his own, working the streets, escaping the Triads with the fall of the Terras. He didn't like to talk about it too much, or anything from before Hiroshi took him in as a worker at his factories, but she'd heard bits and pieces and strung even more together on her own. She couldn't help but wonder if he was always as okay as he seemed, or if maybe something had...

“It's nothing to worry yourselves over, it's taken care of.” Asami almost jumped as the deep, resonating voice interrupted her train of thought, she and Zhu Li turning around to find the tall, dark man in question standing right behind them. Oh, well. Speak of the devil.

“Oh, Ravi! There you are! Where did you...?” Asami asked, simultaneously wondering how much of their discussion he'd heard.

“I was speaking with Atsushi. He won't be bothering you again.” Ravi replied. As blunt and straightforward as ever, it seemed. The earnestness of it almost caught Asami off guard. “I know exactly who he is... anybody who spends a fair amount of time in these neighborhoods does. Even when I was a kid, people feared his name, and he was only just coming up as an enforcer back in those days. “The Spirit of Destruction”, they called him. Figures he'd be the one pulling the strings these days, what with all the arson as of late.” He explained. Arson? Asami could remember reading something about that in the notes Ravi had left for her, but... “You don't need to worry so much about me, Asami. That's my job.” She laughed. He always was a sharp one.

“Sorry, it's hard to help it sometimes. You may act like my body guard most of the time, but you're like family to me. I know you promised my dad you'd always look out for me, but I can take care of myself now. Besides, I have Korra's help now, too, and she worries about me enough as it is.” Ravi shook his head.

“Sorry, but a promise is a promise, Ms. Sato, and I'm a man of my word. Avatar or no Avatar, I'm still going to hold true to that.” Asami smiled. That honesty and dedication was something she really admired about him.

The sound of a glass being placed back down onto the bar interrupted his and Asami's conversation, a smiling Zhu Li standing up from her stool.

“I should probably get back to my husband before he bores everybody to death with stories of his childhood again. For a supposed business guru, you'd think he'd be a little bit better at reading the mood...” She groaned. Ravi and Asami laughed. Their thoughts exactly. Was most of his success just dumb luck, or was there some sort of method to his madness? He WAS oddly endearing for such an eccentric guy...

“He's just trying to help out in his own way, I'm sure.” Ravi smiled. Zhu Li smiled right back. One of the many reasons she'd fallen in love with the man. “Go. Thank you for keeping Asami company while I was gone.” Zhu Li nodded, quickly saying goodbye and then making her way back over to Suyin and her husband's table.

With her drinking partner gone, her vice president back, the clock counting down and Korra still not having returned, Asami quickly scrambled to find another topic to distract herself with, falling back on a tried and true method her father had also looked to when he just needed a little distraction – work, turning the subject back to Ravi's off-hand remark about the current focus of Agni Kai activity.

“So, what was that you were saying about arson?”

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

“Korra, I can explain,” Opal began, scrambling to take back control of the situation, stumbling back a little bit and raising her hands as to gesture Korra to stay where she was, to let her speak. But Opal had lost that right when she used _that_ technique. She wasn't going to get the chance to tell her side of the story, not anymore.

“There's nothing for you to explain,” Korra interrupted, cutting the Airbender off before she could mount a defense, the Beifong gulping as she began to realize the severity of the situation, the eyes of the most powerful person in the world settled angrily upon her. “I saw _everything_.” The fear she saw in Opal's eyes when she said that made Korra's heart sink, tears welling up in her own at the sight, at the thought. Tears of anger, sadness, disappointment...

Much to her chagrin, her body was still shaking, not just with rage, but with fear, fear like she hadn't felt since before she'd reconnected with Raava. Seeing that technique in action again brought back a lot of things she'd have rather forgotten. But now was not the time to relapse. There was too much at stake here, she couldn't afford it, not now. When all was said and done, if she needed to, she could fight this back with Asami.

So for now, the Avatar steadied her breathing, calmed her heart, and pushed all the lingering memories and intrusive thoughts to the back of her mind where they belonged, her stance strong and unbreakable as she stared down her friend... or, former friend, as may very well be the case. Opal had seen that move in action before, she knew why it was forbidden. She'd crossed a line tonight, one that Korra feared she'd never be able forgive her for.

“I followed you here after you left the party. I didn't want to think that you'd... I still wanted to believe that you were...” Korra attempted to explain, wishing she was anywhere but here right now, doing anything but this. Of all of the people she could've been facing here, now, for this... Opal?

“...So you heard everything, then.” Opal reasoned, her body stiffening. As she began to realize her position and what Korra had seen up until this point, the fear gradually began to leave her eyes.

She glanced behind her at Kuvira, still on her hands and knees and struggling to catch her breath, and sighed, her face settling into a calm, almost blank expression. There was no talking her way out of this one. Not this time. Opal clenched her fists. She'd come too far to back down now, she'd never get another chance like this again. Avatar or no Avatar, Korra could not be allowed to interfere, and when she turned her head back around to look at her, all her previous fear had been replaced with vengeance and with hate, her eyes a burning fire like they were when she thought she was with Kuvira alone.

The Avatar looked away. It was a foreign sight in Opal's eyes. It wasn't what she needed to see.

“Go away, Korra.” Opal stated boldly, almost surprised at her own words. Korra certainly was. The tone in which she said it almost reminded her of Kuvira herself. Had she really become _that_ consumed with revenge? Momentarily, both of them were stunned, but Opal followed through. “...This is a family matter. It doesn't concern you.” She finished, mentally freaking out a little as it began to dawn on her what she'd just done, not that her face would show it, weighed down with all of that... _rage_. Even still... she'd just told _the Avatar_ to go away. If there was any chance to turn back before, it was almost assuredly gone now.

Korra grit her teeth, turning her head back in the young Airbender's direction, fists clenched in frustration. This was worse than she'd wanted to imagine. But she couldn't back down, either, not this time. She knew what was right. The look in her eyes said it all before she even opened her mouth to speak. Opal wasn't going to get away with this.

“No.” Korra firmly replied, a weight to her voice that even Kuvira could feel, looking up at the Avatar as she stared Opal down, a fire of her own in her eyes ten times brighter than the Beifong's. “Whatever happened between you two in the past, it doesn't matter, not anymore. This time, you've gone too far. Do you even realize how many laws you've just broken? How long they're going to lock you away if anybody ever finds out about this? Do you have _any_ idea what you just tried to do? No. No, this is not a family matter, not anymore. This has gone completely out of control, and one way or another, I'm going to put a stop to it, right here, right now.” She decisively proclaimed, her words no longer just her own, but the _Avatar's_.

A brief snarl raised the Airbender's lip before she lashed out in retaliation, a reaction to which Korra displayed no emotional response.

“ _I'm_ out of control? Do you even _know_ what this woman did to me? To my family? Have you already forgotten what she did to this _city_? Do you even understand how bad things are in Republic City right now?” Opal asked.

“Yes, Opal, I do, and I'm handling it the best I can, but do you honestly think this is going to change any of that? Do you really think this is going to make things any better?”

“Yes! It will! Because I've been out there, Korra, from the very beginning! I've _seen_ what Kuvira's done to this city! I've felt it first hand! Do you really think you can stand there and tell me you know what it's been like when you ran off with Asami before all of the dust even settled? No! While you were off making out with your girlfriend in the Spirit World, having yourself a grand old time, _I_ was the one out here trying to clean up Kuvira's mess, not you! You have no right to stand there and judge me, to look down on _my_ anger when you have never once had to suffer under her wrath, when you didn't have to see the communities she's destroyed, the lives she's ruined... you have _no_ idea what it's been like in this city.”

“ _Don't_ act as if I abandoned this city, and _don't you_ _**dare**_ bring my fiancee into this.” Korra seethed, Opal stepping back a bit as her eyes alone threatened to put the Beifong in the ground. “We left because I needed to, and so did she, that's all. I needed to rest, to _let_ the dust settle, to let myself finish _healing_ , and I did. After 3 and a half years, I _finally_ did. You do _not_ have the right to stand there and judge me and my decisions, to act like you understand everything I've been through, or _anything_ that I have to do. You do _not_ get to act like you know what I have to put up with and consider almost **every. day.** as the Avatar, the choices _I_ have to make and the repercussions _I_ have to deal with. It is _my_ job to restore balance, Opal, not yours. Believe me, I know _exactly_ how bad things are, and I'm sorry, but that is _not_ my fault.”

“No... no, you're right, it's not your fault, Korra, I'm sorry...” Opal apologized, looking back at Kuvira with great disdain. “It's _hers_.” Kuvira didn't even react. She now appeared to be sitting calmly on the floor watching the scene unfold without even batting an eye. Korra had to admit, it was pretty incredible... even when she was broken, Kuvira was impenetrable. That woman really was something.

“After everything she's done... after all of the death and destruction she's caused, all the hell she's put me and my family and this city through... you show _her_ mercy?” Opal seemed desperate, but Korra was simply frustrated, dragging her hand down her face. She couldn't _possibly_ be this dense, could she?

“She surrendered, Opal. What did you expect me to do? Kill her anyway? I don't get to make those decisions, I am _not_ an executioner.”

“Really? Because you certainly didn't have any trouble executing Unalaq, and he was your uncle! Family! I mean, honestly, you should understand how I feel better than anyone!” Opal laughed, a mad look in her eye. Korra grit her teeth.

“That was different and you know it, he left me with no other choice!” She angrily replied, disgusted by the implication. “He refused to back down and I had to do _something_. My uncle died the instant he chose to fuse with Vaatu, when he chose to become that... that... _monster_. There was no saving him anymore, not after that.”

“So you admit he was irredeemable, then. A monster. How is _she_ any different?” Opal asked, gesturing her arm at the former would-be empress.

“ _She_ isn't a monster, she's a person!”

“And that makes it not okay, after everything she did!?” Opal snapped back.

“Her _surrendering_ makes it not okay! She _gave up_ , Opal! The fight was _over_! If I killed her then, I would've been a murderer, and if you kill her now, then _you_ are no different! Don't act like this is justified, like you have some sort of twisted _right_ to kill her just because she's family to you. You don't get to make that decision, and neither do I, the courts do, and the courts chose to spare her life. If you kill her now, then you're no better than she was, and you're robbing her of the opportunity to change, to try and repair the damage that she's done, to be a better person!” Opal laughed.

“Please, I know how Kuvira is better than anyone, Korra, there is no “better person” to be chiseled out of her. She's nothing but a cruel and empty bitch through and through, and you're wasting your time if you think you can somehow save her, not that she would ever even _want_ to be saved! That isn't her, remorse isn't her.” Korra's left eye twitched. All of this arguing was getting them nowhere – both of them were only becoming more agitated while Kuvira just sat there and watched. This had to end, now.

“Everybody deserves the _chance_ , Opal. You know that.” Everybody... even Zaheer, as much as Korra hated to admit it. The courts had made their decision with him, too. Regardless of personal vendettas, she knew what was right, she knew her job. “Honestly, if the circumstances were a little different, I easily could've been just like her. And if Unalaq had influenced me a little bit more, then maybe I would've been.”

“That's different.” Opal said.

“No, it's not. Because yeah, I easily could've become like her, but at the same time, doesn't that mean she could easily become like _me_?” Kuvira looked up, her eyes falling on Korra. Like her...?

Opal remained unconvinced.

The Avatar sighed.

“Look... I'm as much responsible for Kuvira's rise to power as Zaheer was. My being hurt allowed her to go completely out of control and people suffered and died because of that, so yeah, you were right, in one way or another, I do share in some of the blame here. It was out of my control, but if I had been there, if I didn't need to _heal_ , then maybe none of this would've happened, maybe nobody would've had to die. I know that. That's something I'm going to have to live the rest of my life knowing. But because I needed to heal, I also know from experience just how badly _fear_ and _hatred_ can change somebody, just like how I know from experience that people can come back from that if they try. Kuvira isn't any different, and neither are you. You just need to step back and trust me, please. _Let me do my job_. Kuvira's been given a second chance by a jury of her peers. She's been given the opportunity to reform and rebuild what she almost single-handedly destroyed. Please, just let me _try_ and help her heal.”

Opal fell deathly silent. The look in Korra's eyes... she wasn't sure she'd ever seen her so desperate before. What the hell did she and Kuvira talk about in the Spirit World? Why was she trying _so hard_ to protect her? _Why_? She just... didn't... get it. From Opal's perspective, asking her to let Kuvira go was like asking Korra to let Zaheer go. The only difference was, while Korra would kill Zaheer in a heartbeat if the opportunity ever arose, she wasn't willing to fess up to that fact, or to actively seek him out and get it over with. Opal was. After everything she'd been through and for the city she'd watched slowly die for months, Opal was. She just couldn't let this go. She just couldn't let Kuvira go, in her mind, unpunished.

“...I'm sorry, Korra,” She finally replied, sighing and steadying her breathing as she prepared for what was going to happen next. It wasn't every day you had to fight the Avatar, after all; she had to be ready. “But this time... you're wrong.” She finished, her arms raised in a battle-ready position, making her intentions very clear. Korra sighed, a pained expression on her face, as she, too, prepared for battle, raising her own arms in an Airbending form as the two began to circle one another. There was really no way out of this, was there?

“I'm sorry too, Opal. I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this. But I can't just let you take her life.” The Avatar replied.

“Then I guess you're just going to have to try and stop me.”

“No... I _will_.”

Opal struck first, a corkscrew of masterfully bent air zipping past Korra's right as she narrowly made an evasive maneuver to her left, the water she'd called up before dropping back into the sea as she returned instead with a forceful jab of her own with force enough to knock the Beifong off her feet, a counterattack of air that she evaded in turn, ducking and twisting below. Opal struck again as she rose, and again after that, two more blasts of air sent in the Avatar's direction while Korra sidestepped each one, weaving between her attacks as she attempted to draw closer to her friend. But Tenzin trained her well – Opal kept her distance, continuing to launch strikes from afar while she never allowed Korra to get closer than 8 feet, hopping and skipping around to Korra's left.

She was effectively tracing a circle around her on the platform, sending strike after strike only to never once make contact – Korra using her own considerable training to effortlessly avoid every one, and by all accounts, her training was more advanced. She'd been at this longer than Opal had and had mastered all four bending arts, she knew moves Opal only vaguely understood how to counter, and from Korra's perspective, Opal was being sloppy. She could see every attack coming before it was launched. While there was considerable power behind each one, there was no technique – her anger and her desperation were driving her and it showed.

“Please Opal, stop! We don't have to do this!” She insisted, still not wanting to fight. Each counter attack she launched was tentative at best. Even after what she tried to do, Korra was holding back, she didn't want to have to hurt her, but her lack of commitment was making what should've been an easy knockout that much more drawn out. She was giving Opal time to react and she was using it, exploiting her reluctance to attack to block and avoid every strike with minimal effort.

“Yes, we do! I can't let you protect her, Korra! She doesn't deserve it! She doesn't deserve _anything_!” Opal shouted back, wood splintering beneath as she sent a cutting Airbending slice in Korra's direction, the Avatar gritting her teeth as she jumped out of the way, just barely managing to avoid what would've been a very painful laceration. She was being serious – deathly serious.

“You really aren't holding back, are you...” Korra said with disbelief, an even more disappointed look on her face than what she'd shown before, while Opal appeared to have gone almost mad with rage, continuing to fire blast after blast of air immediately following her slicing attack, blasts which, this time, Korra didn't bother to avoid, knocking them aside with Airbending counters of her own. The Avatar sighed. She had no other options, then. She would actually have to fight her, all-out. This would be over quickly. “...Then you leave me no choice. I'm putting an end to this, one way or another.” Opal didn't even bat an eye.

When the next strike came, Korra deflected it up wards with a forceful push of air as she confidently stepped forward, following the deflection with a surprise blast of fire. Opal bent back, surprised with the power and ferocity with which she'd just been attacked, then fell painfully onto her back as Korra followed the Firebending punch with a sweeping low kick of air that destroyed the Beifong's tenuous footing. But the Avatar didn't stop there – the only way this fight would end would be if one of them was unconscious, and she now appeared intent on knocking Opal out cold.

When she ran forward to deliver another Airbending kick, this one a drop kick that would more than do the trick, Opal rolled to the right and out of the way, splinters of damaged wood flying into the air as she kicked and spun herself back up onto her feet. But she had no time to relax, as Korra was already back at it with, one, two, three bursts of fire with a couple of Airbent corkscrews thrown in for good measure, attacks Opal could only weave around and between, distracting her from the gurgling seas below that roared upward to again collapse her footing and bruise her legs, the water cold and quickly beginning to solidify into ice around her.

She bent the air around her and sent the water away, but Korra didn't stop with the transformation into ice, turning select splashes and droplets of water into icicles she fired at Opal from all directions. She really was being serious. Opal succeeded to smash some pieces of ice with her Airbending and dodged others, but others still left cuts and scrapes meant to distract her with pain and hinder her movements. They were all aimed at her now battered legs and her arms, near her joints, the damage painful but not permanent. Opal winced, but she couldn't give in after coming this far, and did what she could to keep up attacking, but it was becoming increasingly clear she wasn't going to win this fight. All she had was Air, but Korra was the Avatar – one way or another, she was going to hurt and overwhelm her.

And she was already starting to. While Opal was forced to be on the defense, Korra just kept on attacking, a barrage of two elements quickly tiring the Airbender out with the constant threat of water rising up from beneath her and grabbing her feet tugging in the back of her mind. She wasn't going to win this, not like this. Opal grit her teeth. There was only one option left, then. With a powerful wall of air to deflect the next few attacks, Opal looked to the sky and turned around, getting a running start before trying to fly away. She didn't know where she was going to go, but it was clear she couldn't stay here, she wouldn't be getting her revenge today. But her escape was her last mistake, as it gave Korra the opening she needed.

Water reached up from below and grabbed hold of Opal's leg, freezing and holding her in place as she quickly descended instead of ascended. She turned to blast Korra and get her to let go, but as she craned her arm around, it, too, was caught by the water. In a blur, she could feel her self forcefully yanked forward, her Airbending failing as the wooden platform quickly grew closer, and then, black.

Korra immediately rushed over to Opal to make sure she was okay, out but not seriously hurt, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she was. It was over. The Avatar looked over in Kuvira's direction. For once, she seemed to be showing some emotion. It almost looked like... concern. “She's fine,” Korra said almost on reflex. “I just knocked her out, she'll be okay. But I need to get her away from here. The President's probably sent out a search party by now.” The look faded from Kuvira's face, and she nodded instead.

“Go. Handle this however you want. When they show up, I won't say anything. If I had it my way, I would've let her kill me, anyway.” Kuvira replied. Korra looked concerned.

“Kuvira...” Before she could continue, she looked up, hearing the whirring of a plane in the distance.

“Go.” The prisoner repeated. Korra sighed. She'd have to finish this later. Nodding once, Korra slung Opal over her shoulder, hopped back down into the water, and skated away, hopefully evading the sight of whoever was coming to check on the United Republic's most valuable inmate.

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

When Opal awoke, it was to the faint blue glow of Korra's healing water. The two of them appeared to be back on Air Temple Island, away from the search party and from their friends back at the club.

“They were already leaving here by the time I arrived. I don't think they'll be doubling back to look for you here again for a while.” Korra said, continuing to focus on the wounds she was treating, not the girl. Opal was silent. “I haven't really decided how to handle this yet. If I should say anything or not. If anybody knows what happened, that you tried to kill Kuvira _and_ you fought the Avatar, they probably aren't going to let you go. But I can't run the risk of letting this happen again, either.” She explained.

“It won't.” Opal finally said, short and sweet. She looked not only exhausted, but defeated, and somehow, more like her old self. The fire in her eyes had gone out, and now, there was just the dimmest trace of the light that usually lit them. Korra continued healing her.

“If I decide not to say anything, then nobody will ever know. I'm healing your wounds so nobody knows that we fought, but you're going to have to change your clothes to completely cover that up.” She was referring of course to the damage done by the ice.

“You did what you had to.” Opal said.

“But I shouldn't have had to.” Letting the water she'd been using fall to the ground, Korra finally looked the Beifong in the eye. She was pretty much done healing her by now, anyway. “Opal, what happened back there?” She asked. Opal looked away. What _did_ happen back there? Deep down, she knew the answer. She just didn't want to have to face it. But... well, there was really no going back, now.

“She was right. That's what happened.” She replied after a moment of silence. “Kuvira was right. About everything. About our childhood, about my mom, about me and the way I treated her... she wasn't perfect, but... neither was I.” Opal sighed. “I made her life harder than it had to be. I was jealous. Scared. I was the youngest kid and my mom's only daughter and I couldn't bend. So when I looked at Kuvira and how easily she fit in, how quickly she hit it off with my mom, when they spent more and more time together, training... all I saw was everything I always wanted, but knew I'd never be able to have.” Korra frowned. “Even when I became an Airbender... I'd never seen my mom so proud of me before... but I knew it wasn't what she wanted. She always dreamed of having a daughter who could Metalbend, like she could, like her mom could, like Kuvira could. I never liked her. Never.”

“So when she betrayed your family...” Opal finished Korra's revelation for her.

“It was confirmation of every horrible thing I'd ever thought or said about her, proof that she was a duplicitous monster. But until tonight, until she forced me to face what _I'd_ done, to actually think about it... I'd never really considered... how maybe I ended up influencing the way things ultimately played out. She was an orphan, abandoned by her family. And when she finally had one that cared about her, I couldn't stand it. She tormented me daily, but I tormented her, too, and now I can't help but wonder... is one of the reasons she turned out the way she did because of me? Did I help create this, too?” Korra was silent. That was a question she didn't have an answer to, sadly. But that Opal was now asking it was... good, she supposed. All of that anger she had before seemed to be gone now.

“I'm sorry for attacking you, Korra.” She apologized, looking back in the Avatar's eyes. “I was just so... _angry_... all I wanted to do was kill her and get her out of my life, once and for all, and then you showed up, and you saw all of it, you heard everything. Part of me...” Opal gulped. “Part of me would've done _anything_ to prevent anybody else from knowing all of that, and I almost did. I... I lost control. I became–”

“Compromised.” Korra finished. “I knew there was a lot for you and her to confront, I just kept hoping in the back of my mind that you would be able to deal with it all peacefully. But with the way you'd been acting since I got back, I... I couldn't be sure. I didn't want to have to fight you, but I knew it was a very real possibility.”

“I'm sorry.”

“And then you used _that._ ” Opal's stomach sank. Oh. That. She had... hadn't she? “...I know you didn't know I was there, but... of all things...”

“I wanted her dead.” The Beifong re-emphasized. “I knew what Zaheer's technique could do.”

“And you know what it almost did to me.” Opal fell deathly silent. “There's a reason it's been banned. I know that you didn't know I was there, but I don't know if I can really forgive you for using that. Even if it wasn't on me, that you would go so far, that you would use something so... so _evil_...”

“I know!” Opal stood up, frustrated, but then immediately calming down, turning away from Korra. “I know... I'm sorry, I just... there are parts of me that I don't like to address. Anger and pain and hatred and passion that I don't always know what to do with. I may not be an Earthbender, but I'm still a Beifong girl, I'm not somebody you want to get on the wrong side of, I just...” By this point, she was holding back tears. “I was just _so_. _angry_.”

“I know... I've been there too.” Opal turned back around. She had? “A few times, in fact. As the Avatar, I'm supposed to be... better. More. I'm supposed to somehow be free of emotional influence and anger and darkness and all of that stuff, but I'm not. I might be part-spirit, but I'm still just a person. Do you know how hard it is for me to fight back my anger, sometimes?” She asked. Opal had no idea. “And when I was younger, I often wouldn't. I'd be so angry and impulsive and hot-headed and I'd always end up making even more of a mess of things. There were a few times I did or almost did things for reasons that were... very not Avatar-like.” Korra explained. “But they _were_ human.”

“Yeah, well, I feel more like a monster right about now. I tried to kill someone. I fought the Avatar. I mean... how do I even come back from this???” Opal asked, desperate.

“I don't know.” Korra replied. “But... I don't think you're a monster. You're just... hurt. There was a lot of stuff you and Kuvira had to address that neither of you did, and it's been eating you alive for years, both of you. And after what happened, with her betrayal and taking your brother and the Earth Empire and Republic City... when you finally did address it, it was too much, and it consumed you. You let it get the best of you.”

“And I'm afraid it'll happen again.” Opal confessed, tears in her eyes.

“So am I.” Korra confessed as well.

“Korra... what are we going to do?”

“I don't know.” She said that, but... “But I've already healed your wounds. If you get changed now, nobody has to know anything we don't decide to tell them.” Opal looked confused. Was she... was she letting her off the hook? “In regards to the President... that's probably for the best. But, if you want my professional Avatar opinion... once all is said and done, I do think you should tell your mom. She has a right to know. And Tenzin, too. He might be able to help you channel that anger and confront it more... peacefully.” The Airbender was shocked. After... after all of that, Korra was going to...?

“I... are... are you sure?” Opal asked.

“No.” Korra replied simply. Opal's heart skipped another beat. “My head is saying I should turn you in and make sure this doesn't happen again, but my gut is telling me to give you another chance. So... if you can do what I asked, then I think I will.” She... she didn't know what to say. “I'm going to be keeping a closer eye on you for a while, and I'm going to check in with your mom and Tenzin every now and then under the assumption that they know what happened, but... I'm going to give you a chance to walk away from this, if you're willing to take it.” She didn't even need to ask.

“Yes.” Opal hurriedly replied. “Yes, I will, please, I promise. Please. I just... I want this to go away. I didn't want things to go this far, either. I didn't want to...” Korra smiled weakly. That was a good sign, at least.

“I know. You'll do better next time.” Opal nodded.

“Yeah... next time.” Though it was weak, it was also, in a way, confident. Or... it was a response that inspired Korra's confidence, at least. Maybe tonight brought some closure to her after all.

“...You should go get changed into another air suit, we should get back to the party quick, before the search team doubles back. Let everyone know you're okay.”

“...Yeah. Yeah, you're right,” Opal said, wiping tears from her eyes and giving Korra a hug. “Thank you.”

“Just don't make me regret it.” Korra requested. Opal nodded, giving her friend one more hug and then going to go get changed.

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

By the time Ravi stepped back outside, Opal had returned and the tension in the building had finally given way. Lin immediately radioed to cancel the search, the Beifongs, Bolin, Tenzin and Korra's crew were visibly relieved and crowded around Opal and the Avatar for answers, and Varrick and Zhu-Li were already harassing the President (okay, it was mainly Varrick) about one thing or another while Ryuuki signed his autograph for his fans in the club. Things seemed to be lighter again, happier. Except to Ravi.

The vice president of future industries let out a sigh, rubbing his eyes with his hand and pushing a cigarette out of a pack he kept tucked away in his coat pocket, lighting it with a lighter from his pants, closing his eyes, throwing it back, and taking in the smoke and the cool night air. He had some business to attend to.

“Looks like things have calmed down quite a bit, eh?” Came the voice, Ravi's eyes reluctantly opening as he lowered his head to look at its origin. Atsushi... Ravi looked annoyed. “Though, you coulda been a little less rough with me back there. I understand ya have to be keeping up appearances and all, but if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not have the Avatar putting an end to our little business venture, capiche?” The annoyed look on the Earthbender's face gave way to a smirk.

“I did what I had to. Like I said, I have to keep up appearances.” He grinned, extending his hand to shake the Firebender's own. Atsushi looked pleased. “Besides, you shouldn't be antagonizing the Avatar, _or_ threatening Asami. Not at such a delicate stage of our operation.” The warning seemed to stick, Atsushi scoffing and looking a little worried about Ravi's disapproval.

“With the trial wrapping up and that monster thingamajig destroyed, she's gonna be having more time to deal with us Triads. We can't have her interfering, not now.” He explained. Ravi disagreed.

“But we can't stop her from trying, either. I told you before, I will handle the Avatar. You almost cost me my cover tonight, I had to make up an excuse about knowing you from the attacks on our buildings in your territory. I'm just lucky that she bought it. Interfere like that again, and I'll kill you myself.” Atsushi hummed in frustration. He hated to admit it, but Ravi WAS the smarter of the two of them, and a hell of a powerful bender. He might actually be able to.

“What about Viper and Chiasa?” The Firebender asked.

“Despite what I told Asami, I called Chiasa when I stepped away. I couldn't get a hold of Viper, though.” He admitted.

“Viper won't be coming. The Triple Threats are remaining as stubborn as ever in all of this.” Came the voice, an extravagantly dressed woman of Fire Nation and Water Tribe descent stepping out of the shadows of the alleyway and into the light above the club's back door, her heels clicking against the concrete below as she nodded a quick 'hello' to her compatriots. “It almost makes me wish Lightning Bolt Zolt was still running the show. At least he was willing to wheel and deal over territory, not horde it all for himself like a selfish child.” Ravi shook his head while Atsushi clicked his tongue.

“That guy's going to be all sorts a pain in our asses, lemme tell ya. In fact, I can feel mine aching already,” The head of the Agni Kais lamented, rubbing his ass in jest. Chiasa was unimpressed.

“Admittedly, I'm also a little wary... Ravi and I are not exactly in friendly waters, here. We're in Agni Kai territory, outside of a club owned by you in which the Avatar is currently partying alongside some of the city's top officials. Uncooperative business practices aside, I can't blame Viper for not showing up tonight. This seems more than a little dangerous.” Chiasa worried, glancing around to make sure nobody else was watching. They were in the clear.

“Au contraire, we couldn't be safer,” Atsushi assured. “ _Because_ this is Agni Kai territory, I practically own alla da cops around 'ere, and as for the Avatar, she's been a little... preoccupied, tonight, from my understanding.” He looked in Ravi's direction. He hadn't seen it himself, but he'd been told of an incident regarding an Airbender. The Earthbender nodded. “We're safe as can be, and meeting back here, in the alley behind a club, is a little less conspicuous than, say, showing up at Future Industries' front door to have a chat with Ravi, or at your shipping company to speak with you.” Chiasa grinned. He had a point there. They all had their appearances to maintain.

“Then I say we make this quick and get the first official meeting between the current heads of the Agni Kai, Red Monsoon and Terra Triads underway.” Ravi suggested, finishing his cigarette and throwing it to the ground, stamping it out. “We have much to discuss.”


	9. Truths and Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After awakening from a nightmare, Korra begins to realize that her fight may not be over yet, and that the Chi Eater might actually still be alive. Meanwhile, the Triads push forward with their plans for the city while attempts at reparations are made by two parties thrust apart by the hands of fate!

Book Five  
 **Chi**

Chapter Nine  
  
 **Truths and Consequences**

  
“So then I said, 'Well if you didn't want the flame to go out, you shouldn't have dated a Waterbender'!” Varrick loudly concluded with a slap of his knee, he and the group of high rollers assembled around him (a group which included Raiko, Buttercup, Ryuuki and the Wu formerly known as 'Prince') breaking out into a fit of laughter, drinks still in hand. After all was said and done, tonight was still a night for celebration, and with Opal back safe and sound (as far as any of those gathered were concerned) and another potential crisis successfully averted, they saw no reason not to get right back into it. In fact, if anything, they had more reason to celebrate _now_ than they did before, mover premiere or no.

And they weren't the only ones, either.

Now that Lin no longer had to lead a manhunt for her niece, and Tenzin no longer had to assist in the arrest of one of his finest pupils, the two of them seemed to have seen it fit to finally cut loose and live a little, something that – from the awkward, embarrassing way they seemed to carry themselves while intoxicated – they hadn't had the opportunity to do together in quite some time. While they relived the 'old days' over another glass of wine, Pema watched the two of them like a hawk from hers and the kids' table across the room, Rohan playing with some paper and crayons right beside her while Ikki and Meelo drifted off to hang out with Huan and Jinora settled in with a book across from her mother.

Meanwhile, while they hadn't seen it fit to turn to celebration just yet, the look of relief that'd washed across Su and Bolin's faces when Korra returned with Opal in tow wasn't something she would be forgetting anytime soon. The two of them looked as though the weight of the world had been lifted from their shoulders, happily escorting the Airbender back to her family's table together, the three of them sitting down with Wing, Wei and Bataar Sr. to talk about what just happened. Hopefully in full, she thought.

The sooner those who needed to know knew what had transpired, the sooner Korra could leave it to them to keep the Beifong from making the same mistake twice, and the sooner she could let them help her deal with her residual anger and any unresolved issues with Kuvira in a more constructive manner. Or, well, she could mostly leave it to them, anyway – she'd still be checking in on her herself every now and again, just like she'd promised back on the island.

With all of that now safely put behind her (at least for the time being), the young Avatar felt as though she'd earned herself a drink and the rest of the night off, ordering another glass of wine and then walking back over to her table with Mako and Asami to give them an edited summary of everything that'd just gone down.

In time, drinking her wine and reminiscing with two of her oldest friends, Korra's stress quickly began to melt away, and before she knew it, a half an hour had passed and Mako had gone off to look for Ryuuki while she and Asami had decided to slow dance to the tune being played by the band in the back of the establishment. Both of them were more than a little tipsy by this point (Korra a little less than Asami), but both of them more than needed a moment to themselves after what Korra just had to deal with, the engineer in her arms clearly having grasped that she wasn't telling them the full story right now, but nevertheless choosing not to press it any further.

For all intents and purposes, it should have been a perfect moment. And on paper, it was. But for Korra, something didn't sit right, a nagging sensation in the back of her mind threatening to pull her out of her moment, alcohol or no alcohol, Asami or no Asami. It felt like something important, like something she'd forgotten to take care of, but she was at a total loss as to what it was. Strangely enough, this much, Asami didn't seem to pick up on, pulling her wife-to-be in for a much needed kiss on the lips instead, something Korra hoped to have some effect on the nagging in her head.

But there was nothing. Nothing but that incessant voice in the back of her mind, the feeling that something had been forgotten. And as the two of them pulled apart and Korra seemed completely unfazed, stuck inside of her own head, the woman in front of her recognized immediately that something was wrong. “Korra? Is everything okay?” She asked.

The Avatar was silent. Was it just her, or was it getting a little hot in here?

“Korra?” Asami asked again. The Waterbender still didn't respond. What **was** that?  That heat? ...And that voice... was somebody calling her?

“Korra!” Finally, Korra came to.

“...Huh? Asami?” Korra asked, still a little dazed and distracted. Was that Asami's voice calling her just now, or... 

...Opal.

“S-Sorry, yeah, I'm fine, I just... I feel like I really need to talk to Opal again right now. Hang on a minute.” She requested simply, pulling away from her fiancee in an uncharacteristically distracted manner. Normally, it was Asami who personified all of the Waterbender's distractions – this was the first time she felt as though something else was more important. The drive to talk to Opal was all-consuming.

“Korra, wait, don't go!” Asami called, desperation in her voice, as if she knew what was going to happen next. But though she reached out for her, Korra was already too far away, completely absorbed by the nagging sensation that was now front and center in her mind.

“It'll only take a minute, hold on,” Korra requested, her fiancee fading out of view as she pushed her way through the crowd.

It was strange. It almost seemed as though there were more people here now than there were a few minutes ago. She wasn't really paying them too much mind, but, if she thought about it for a second, for a party, they didn't really seem all that lively anymore. In fact, they all seemed a little grim, as though they were disappointed by something, judging something, all talking amongst themselves about something. As they whispered all around her things she couldn't make out in voices she could barely hear, Korra, too focused on her goal to care, arrived at Opal's table, approaching the Beifong girl from behind.

“Opal, can I talk to you again for a minute?” She asked, reaching out a hand and placing it on the Airbender's shoulder to turn her around, an action she almost immediately regretted, as when Opal turned to face her, it wasn't the Beifong's eyes she found herself looking into. It was Zaheer's.

“Why didn't you let us kill you when we had the chance?”

When it was his voice that reached her ears instead of Opal's, Korra's heart skipped a beat, and the Avatar stumbled backwards, the world around her having suddenly shifted from the party back at the club, to a lone tree on a hill in a crimson meadow, the entirety of the scenery having been caught up in a hellish blaze as sweat rolled down the young woman's face. The source of the heat that'd been so confusing her, she reasoned.

As she looked frantically all around her, terrified and confused, she saw that the sky above was a dark, boiling red, distinct from the field around her, and there was a hole where the sun or the moon should've been, Zaheer alone standing in the inferno as her only companion as the countless whispering patrons that had surrounded her before had vanished into the air like smoke.

“Why didn't you let us save you?” ...Us?

“I... how...? Save me from what...?” Korra asked. She wanted to escape, but her body would no longer obey her commands. She wanted to scream for Asami, but her chest was too tight, she could barely engage Zaheer as it was.

In response to her question, Zaheer tilted his head. “You really don't know yet, do you? He's seen you, Korra.” The Airbender warned.

“Who? Who's seen me?” She asked, desperate.

“He's seen you and now he knows you've seen him. He's coming for you, Korra. There's no stopping what's about to happen. You should have let us kill you when we had the chance. You should have let us save you from this fate.” He repeated, a mixture of anger, fear and confusion in Korra's eyes as she repeated _her_ self in turn.

“Who!?” She demanded, power returning her voice as she finally readjusted herself to her surroundings and gathered back her courage. That's right... courage. She'd dealt with all of this before, hadn't she? Why was she acting so scared _now_? She wasn't afraid of him – not anymore!

At this, Zaheer only smiled, his eyes shifting focus from the Avatar to somebody else behind her. Unsure of what he was looking at, Korra turned around, finding herself now trapped back in the infinite dark expanse she'd been relocated to on that night at the theater, back to standing face-to-face with the Chi Eater spirit, its huge, dripping maw mere inches from her face. The fire and the hill from before were gone now. Zaheer was gone, too. Everyone and everything was gone. Now, there was only...

“Us.” It whispered simply, a blue glow rising from its throat and grabbing hold of her face as its jaws snapped closed around her and consumed her body whole, its single, solitary hand pulling her spirit down into the eternal churning pit of souls buried deep in its own...

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

“NO!” Korra screamed, awaking with a start back in the safety of her own bed. A dream... it was all a dream. While this realization should have calmed her down, the contents of her nightmare, still fresh on her mind, had triggered some old wounds and brought back to the surface some worries she had been putting off before, things that kept her panicked and afraid even after she realized what had happened wasn't real. How long had it been since she'd had a nightmare like this? A month, maybe? Whatever it was, it wasn't long enough. She'd genuinely hoped that she'd finished with this anxious exercise.

In immediate response to her sudden jolting upright and desperate screaming, Asami, who had previously been sleeping peacefully at Korra's side, arms wrapped lovingly around her waist as the big spoon of the night, also sprung up in panicked surprise, wide-awake and alert and unfortunately all-too-familiar with what was going on. The moment she noticed that they weren't under attack and that the both of them were still safe and sound in their room at the Estate, she knew. It was another nightmare.

Like Korra, Asami, too, had hoped that the Avatar had had the last of these a month and a half ago, back in their time in the Spirit World. But she supposed some wounds wouldn't heal so easily.

Remembering the routine they had constructed back then, Asami first gently placed her hand onto her fiancee's bare shoulder, grabbing the Avatar's attention and causing her to look back at the green eyed girl with the disheveled hair and a loving concern in her eyes, a soothing presence that immediately slowed back down her previously sharp and labored breathing, which regulated her erratic heartbeat in turn.

Right. Like she'd just told herself – it was just a dream. A dream with _him_ in it, but, a dream nonetheless.

Sliding her hand slowly down her fiancee's arm from her shoulder down to her hand, Asami grabbed hold of Korra's with a gentle firmness, reassuring her that she was okay now.

Asami's fear was that it was another dying dream, another memory of her near-death experience. So far as she could tell, only Zaheer ever got Korra this worked up, and any time he happened to be on her mind, a situation like this seemed to follow, eventually.

But Korra had learned how to manage these things herself in her years of recovery. From a cup of tea, to stargazing, to re-reading Asami's letters, to meditation – once her least favorite activity, now a frequent destressor and a much-loved remedy to the occasional night-terror – she was still in a better place than she was before returning to Republic City the first time. She'd come to accept what had happened to her and not let that fear of what could've been consume her. But this wasn't something that you could just... get over, and never have to deal with again.

It was easier now, certainly. Livable, even. Manageable. But this was deep, perhaps even permanent, something Korra would have to deal with on occasion for the rest of her life.

There would be slips, relapses, bad nights, and that was okay – she was still keeping on keeping on. Tonight just happened to be one of those bad nights, the Sato supposed, and it wasn't the first that she'd seen. Now that the two of them spent most their nights together, Korra's post-nightmare management had become decidedly more Sato-centric. She could handle it on her own if she had to, but... she didn't have to. Not anymore, and not right now. And that thought alone brought the Avatar more comfort than almost anything else.

“Another nightmare?” She asked simply, though her intended question, to Korra, was clear. 'Was it Zaheer again'. Asami had elected to not use his name, or even refer to him at all, in their time together. When it did turn out to be about him, Asami didn't want to keep everything fresh and present in Korra's head, so she just asked simple, seemingly obvious and nondescript questions, instead, letting Korra steer their conversation however far she wanted by whatever she was willing to divulge. Still, he usually was the bulk of Korra's nightmares, even now, so the two questions may as well have been the same thing.

Much to Asami's surprise however, to this question, Korra didn't nod. Instead, her grip on Asami's hand briefly tightened, and then loosened, and then she pulled her hand free altogether, electing instead to rest herself on the woman's chest and shoulder, to have herself wrapped back in her arms where she felt safest, where she _was_ safest.

Asami understood immediately and held her there, stroking her hair, and then placed her hand on top of Korra's again now that she had repositioned herself, gently holding onto the Avatar's left that had found itself resting gently on the engineer's chest.

As she laid there for a moment, gathering her thoughts, Korra sighed, calming down some more while Asami's other arm remained comfortingly wrapped around her, ceasing to play with her hair while she maintained her silence so that her fiancee could speak.

“No, not this time. I mean... not exactly.” Korra tried to explain, her grip on Asami's chest reflexively tightening while the Sato only stared lovingly at her fiancee, interlocking her fingers with Korra's own, patiently waiting for her to find the words. “I had a nightmare, yeah. And he was there, but, he was like a...” She paused, trying to think of the right way to describe it. “He was like a... a symbol, or a metaphor, or something... a stand-in... I think.” She couldn't seem to find the right words, and had briefly narrowed her eyes in thought, clearly still a little confused and distraught and trying to gather her thoughts, but Asami got the message.

She reached up for Korra's face with her other hand, brushing a lock of her hair out of the way so that she could plant a soft kiss to calm her down even further and keep her talking.

“You think?” Asami had to confirm it wasn't about _that_ again. Korra understood what she was implying and nodded, trying to think of how to better describe what she meant while she savored the sensation of Asami's kiss.

“I'm not sure what it was, honestly, but... I was back at the party earlier tonight, and at first, everything seemed normal. It was like I was just reliving everything that'd happened when I came back with Opal, but, I didn't seem to realize at first that I'd already experienced all of it.” She explained. So, to a point then, that was exactly how the night had gone. It could be surmised the events after their dance hadn't actually happened, then.

“But then, when we were dancing, for some reason... for some reason, I felt like there was something really important that I had forgotten about. You tried to warn me not to go, but, I left you behind to go try and talk to Opal again, and when I finally got back to her, when she turned around, it was Zaheer.”

“I see... do you think it was because of what she tried to do earlier?” Asami inquired, listening intently to her fiancee's every word.

Of course Korra had told _her_ the full story of what'd happened after they got home – she was Asami, her fiancee, the love of her life and practically her number one counsel by this point. She didn't keep secrets from Asami, no matter what, especially not ones like that. It was too important, and she knew it could lead to something like this later in the night. They both knew that. Korra's recovery had been a long, arduous road that she was still traveling down, in some ways. But even when bad nights did happen, Asami still couldn't help but be proud of how far she had still come.

“I don't know, maybe. But, it was what he said that really got to me. When I'd noticed that it was him, the scene had completely changed. I wasn't in the club anymore, I was back on that hill, by that tree, the one I saw when I fought the Chi Eater?” She began, wanting to confirm Asami remembered what she was talking about. Of course she'd been apprised of that little happening, too, and she remembered it all faithfully, so, the Sato nodded.

“Except... everything was on fire now, and there was no sun or moon or anything like that, just... black. And Zaheer kept asking me why I didn't let him kill me, acting like he was trying to do me a favor, or something. Except... I don't know if it was Zaheer, exactly?” Korra asked, unsure of her own uncertainty. Asami also seemed to be confused.

“Who do you think it was, then?” She asked. Korra thought for a moment, recalling the end of her dream.

“Well, the way he kept referring to himself... it was plural. At first, when he said 'us', I thought he meant me and him, but then he said something about me having been seen by 'him', and how I couldn't stop what was going to happen. The way he said it, it felt like he intended it to mean that me being killed by him would've been better than whatever was going to happen next, and I remember feeling that way too, for some reason. And then everything changed again, and...” When Korra paused and bit her lip, Asami's grip on her hand tightened, and she held the girl a little closer.

It was okay now.

“...the Chi Eater ate me. Zaheer was talking about the Chi Eater.” Korra concluded. So... her nightmare was about the Chi Eater, then? Not about Zaheer?

Ordinarily, Asami would have been relieved to hear that it wasn't about him again, taking it as a sign of further recovery in that now even her nightmares were free and clear and hers alone again. But, in this case, it was more like she was trading in one trauma for another. Korra had confided in her how scared she was when the Chi Eater was on top of her like that, what she'd heard and felt and how she thought she was going to die all over again, and how _awful_ its presence was at such a close distance, so Asami was briefly afraid that any progress she may have made could've been undone by repeated trauma.

But at the same time though, she also knew that as the Avatar, Korra was privy to things that ordinary people and Benders weren't, and that there may have been more to all of this than met the eye, which was deeply concerning for a whole _other_ reason. For now, she'd just have to keep on asking questions and see what the two of them could figure out together.

“I thought you'd gotten rid of the Chi Eater for good though, why would it be in your dreams now?” She asked. And why would Zaheer show up to warn her about it after the fact, she wondered? “Do you think that maybe you didn't kill it after all...?” Korra immediately retreated when Asami referenced killing it, something the raven-haired woman immediately regretted bringing up when the Avatar had pulled away from her embrace to quickly re-gather her thoughts.

Necessary or not, Korra still had a hard time dealing with all of that.

But... Asami understood it, kind of. In all honesty, she was just glad that even as the Avatar, face to face with a corrupt, killer spirit, Korra was still Korra. She valued life, and took no joy in ending it, even if sometimes the situation might not give her any other choices. In the heat of the moment, however, she'd forgotten just how much having to do that had actually upset her. It wasn't like Unalaq, where the choices were clear and Vaatu had taken control. She really felt like she could've saved that thing if she was just a little bit stronger, just a little bit better of an Energybender than she was.

But she wasn't.

“No, I... I definitely killed it, and it thanked me for it,” Korra reaffirmed, now sitting up alongside her fiancee with her knees pulled up to her chest as opposed to relaxing in Asami's arms, quickly trying to move things along. She didn't like to dwell on this.

“But something about it has been bugging me all week. That vision... I know it didn't come from who or whatever was controlling it, but I still can't help but think it's somehow connected to them, anyway. Like the Chi Eater _wanted_ me to see it, like it wanted me to try and use it to get to... _him_.” She described with a shrug.

“...Him?” This was the first time Korra had given any sort of definitives in regards to the Chi Eater's corrputor.

“I don't know, Zaheer referred to the Chi Eater as a 'him', but I didn't get the feeling he was talking about the spirit, even if that's what I saw in my dream. I was sure he was talking about whoever corrupted it.” She explained with another shrug, letting out a sigh.

Asami placed her hand on Korra's shoulder again, who looked back at her for a moment, and then returned to her, having apparently forgiven her for the slip-up (and really missed the feeling of being in her arms), returning to her previous position as she was urged to continue with what it was she was getting at.

“I know it doesn't seem possible that somebody could create a dark spirit like that _and_ be alive for more than a thousand years, but, that's the vibe I've been getting ever since I made contact with the Chi Eater's spirit. Both of them. Whoever he is, he's still alive today, and he knows who I am and what I did.” Asami was now, officially, concerned.

She was neither a bender, the Avatar, or even very well versed in spiritual matters (although she _had_ been brushing up on those as of late, almost entirely because of who her fiancee was), but even she knew that anybody who could live a thousand years straight on through was nobody to be trifled with. If Korra's gut was right, then whoever was behind all of this was an enemy unlike any the Avatar had ever faced before. She was just glad that this time, said Avatar had no shortage of friends and allies at her side to help her face this guy.

“Are you sure?” She asked. Korra wasn't, which gave Asami some relief, but the Avatar still seemed convinced that it made the most sense. And as she went on to explain why, that relief which had briefly graced Asami's mind had just as quickly eluded her.

“No, but, I talked to some spirits earlier today. I didn't have the chance to tell you about it earlier with everything that was going on, but, I'd noticed that even though I supposedly took out the Chi Eater, there weren't as many spirits in the city as there used to be.” Come to think of it, Asami had noticed that too.

“Then I bumped into the light spirit that'd led me to Toph a while back, and he told me that all of the older spirits had elected to stay behind in the Spirit World because they didn't think I'd actually gotten rid of it. The way he explained it, what I fought was very alone, and sad, and dangerous, but... it was more like another victim than anything else.” She sighed. “And if the spirits are scared about something, you can bet it's something dangerous. So, in other words...”

“In other words, it's not over...” Asami finished, letting the realization sink in for the both of them. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, huh?

“...In my dream, Zaheer said that he'd seen me, and that I'd seen him too. I'm guessing that it happened when I made contact with his spirit, the one that was buried deep down in the core of the Chi Eater's. I don't know, not for sure, but... whoever _he_ is, he's strong. _Real_ strong. The way his will had been so perfectly intertwined with that spirit's own... either he's some sort of spirit himself, or he's an Energybender unlike anything I ever thought possible.” And she wasn't sure which possibility was worse. If it was an Energybending spirit, she was clearly out of her league, she had no idea where to even begin in countering that. But if it was a person...

Raava was right when she said that the Chi Eater's actions seemed more in line with those of a human's than those of a spirit's, a theory lent even further credence when Korra connected with it the second time, when she fought to free it again after everybody had managed to get it on the ropes for a moment. Spirits didn't want to die either, no, they tried to continue living as much as anyone and anything else, but they didn't _fear_ death. Not like humans did. And that fear, that mantra repeated deep down in its soul, that was very, _very_ human.

She never thought that anybody but the Avatar could Energybend before, that there was anybody else out there with this sort of power aside from the Lion Turtles, but now...

“Well... since when has that ever stopped you before?” Asami asked, a smile on her face. Korra immediately pulled back a bit and looked up at her fiancee, surprised by her sudden burst of optimism. What'd happened to all her worried thoughts from a couple of moments ago? “You've fought a Spiritbender before in your uncle, right? I know you've said it's different, but that was still pretty scary and unprecedented too, right? Somebody who was able to sway spirits one way or another and drive them mad at will?” ...So that's where she was going with this. From the way she was leading her fiancee on, it seemed Asami's reasoning had given _her_ hope already.

“Well, I–” Korra began, before Asami cut her off.

“And how about Amon? I mean, a psychic Bloodbender? Only Aang had ever encountered one of those before, and even he needed to go into the Avatar State in order to counter him. But from what you and Mako told me, you went and broke his hold all on your own and took him out with nothing more than an Airbending kick. And when you fought Unavaatu? That was all you, too. You were faced with a _literally_ larger-than-life challenge, and you _still_ rose to the occasion and fought it on your terms. And then there was the Spirit Cannon, where–”

“Okay, okay, I get your point,” Korra laughed, pulling closer to Asami again, who continued to smile and ran her fingers through the Avatar's hair. “I know I've done some pretty impossible things before, you're right. But I can't help but feel like it's different this time, you know? Like whoever's behind this is... desperate.” She concluded. Desperate?

“Any time I won an impossible fight like that, it was only because I was desperate, too. All of my enemies so far, all of them have been powerful, but arrogant. They were fighting for something they believed in, but they were too out of balance. But this feels different from that, and I have no idea what that might mean for me.” The Avatar confessed. But Asami remained optimistic.

“Then you'll just have to take what _you_ believe in, which _isn't_ out of balance, and fight for that even _more_ desperately.” The inventor shrugged. “Don't worry about whether you can or not, Korra, because I know that you can. I believe in you. Just, don't forget, you're not all alone, either. Sure, we're not the Avatar, but... we are her friends. ...And, her lover, I guess, heh.” Asami laughed.

Korra smiled, nuzzling deeper into her fiancee's chest, clutching her close. She always did feel safe here, safer than anywhere else. And for the most powerful person in the world, that was not a feeling that came very easily. It always managed to put her back in an okay mood, even after one of her nightmares.

“Yeah, maybe you're right.” Korra smiled. “I think I'm going to go back into the Spirit World tomorrow and see if I can't get to the bottom of all of this. This nightmare's gone on long enough. And I guess I should probably let Lin and Raiko know what's going on, too... make sure they're ready to move if something happens or I can find anything... but for right now, I don't think I want to talk about it anymore. I'm still tired and a little dizzy and I just want to go back to sleep.” She admitted with a groan.

Asami nodded, agreeing with her, lying back down while Korra maintained her position resting on her chest, now with the addition of her legs wrapped tightly around Asami's own.

“I think that's a good idea, yeah. I'll be here if you need me, for anything.” She reaffirmed, kissing Korra's head while she sighed with contentment. Tomorrow wasn't going to be fun. Could she just skip it and spend the day in bed with Asami, instead? Spirits, that sounded better. She really hated her job sometimes. Shifting her head and body around a bit to in order get more comfortable, Korra closed her eyes, relaxing as she prepared to go back to sleep.

“Thanks for letting me ramble to you about my dreams...” She mumbled, finding the perfect position she was searching for and settling her face into a warm, tired smile. “I really hope this doesn't make you think less of me...” Korra's eyes snapped back open. Did she just say that out loud? ...She just said that out loud, didn't she. That part was supposed to stay in her head. She really _was_ tired...

But thankfully, Asami just laughed it off, though not in a way that came off as belittling or dismissive or anything, kissing her head again and then vanquishing her fears almost as quickly as they'd appeared.

“Of course not, silly. You might be the Avatar, but at the end of the day, you're also still just Korra, at least to me. It's okay to not always be so brave, especially around the ones who love you.” And nobody loved her more than Asami, Korra thought.

“Well... it _is_ pretty nice not having to act so tough all the time...” She confessed with a laugh. Asami kissed her even more in response, an action that caused the Waterbender's smile to grow a little more every time. She seemed to be in a pretty loving mood tonight. Residual effects of all the alcohol, or a response to her nightmare? Either way didn't really matter to her. In all honesty she was still a little flabbergasted by this whole thing, her and Asami. There were a few times when she was away she was afraid maybe she was reading a little too much into everything. But on nights like tonight especially, she was _really_ glad that she wasn't.

“See? Of course I don't think any less of you. If anything, I'm honored that you trust me so much to be so vulnerable around me.” I mean, how many people got to say they were the Avatar's lover and confidant, right? Of course there was more to it than that for Asami, but, that didn't mean the thought didn't still occur to her sometimes, anyway. How incredible all of this was; how incredible _she_ was. Being with Korra like she was was an honor, a privilege, and the greatest thing to have ever happened to her.

“Well, we have been through a lot together, especially in the Spirit World.” She laughed, nuzzling up even closer to Asami, assuming that was even possible. “I feel like I know you better than I know myself, sometimes.” And in some very physical ways, she might not have been wrong.

“Besides, I've always felt safe with you. Since Harmonic Convergence, at least, but... especially after Zaheer; those two weeks when you wouldn't leave my side. I don't know, I guess... I guess I always just figure you've already seen me at my worst and you _still_ somehow managed to love me, so I mean...” She was kind of just rambling at this point, and both of them knew it, but Asami didn't really want her to stop. She liked this more relaxed, rambling side of Korra, this sort of feeling of... it didn't matter what was being said, exactly, they just really liked talking to each other and hearing the other's voice.

Still, it was late, and both of them needed to get back to sleep.

Kissing Korra's head again, Asami ran her fingers through the girl's hair, the Avatar allowing herself to relax as she quieted down to the sound of Asami's heartbeat and the soft, steady, motion of her breathing, her eyes gradually getting heavy again. She'd managed to find something really special at the end of her recovery after all, she thought to herself, taking in the peacefulness of the moment while she still had it.

“Goodnight, Asami... I love you...” She mumbled, closing her eyes and drifting back to sleep to much more pleasant dreams than before.

“Goodnight, Korra. I love you too.” Asami quietly returned, continuing to stroke the girl's hair as she fell back asleep, before falling asleep again herself shortly thereafter.

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

“Look, alls I'm sayin' is, if we're gonna act, we gotta do it quickly, opportunities like these don't come a'knockin' all that often, y'feel me? Kuvira may of wreaked a lot of havoc, but she also gave us the best chance we're ever gonna get at takin' this whole damn city for our own. But we ain't never gonna get anywhere by goin' back to brawlin' in the streets and beefin' over turf like a buncha low-level kiddie gangsters anymore, not with the Avatar back in town and the RCPD bringing in more and more officers every day.” Atsushi repeated for what had to have been the third or fourth time now.

As Chiasa was well aware, it wasn't very like the hot-blooded crime boss to actively avoid a little street violence like this, especially seeing as it seemed to be what he and his goons did best. The Agni Kais often started fights simply for the hell of it, hoping to maybe get a little lucky and drive their competition out of whatever part of town they happened to be angling after at the time, and Atsushi was the worst of them all.

But even somebody as violent and short-fused as he was knew a golden opportunity when he saw one. If he took the time to approach this with a more level head, and he could get his rivals to agree to work together and decide ahead of time which territories were going to belong to which organization, they could take all of Republic City by storm before the police ever knew what hit them. So, that's exactly what he was doing, or at least, trying to do. But, understandably, it was in deciding who should have what territories that was proving to be the most difficult.

“You know I've been eyin' that eastern port of yours for a while now, ever since you stole it from me back in May, and you've got plenty of others already under your control that I ain't want nothin' to do with, some of it even nearby. So what's the matter with giving me a little somethin' somethin' for the sake of _my_ operations, hmm?” Atsushi inquired, hoping that this time, his request wouldn't fall on deaf ears. But unfortunately for him, it didn't go any better the sixth time around. The Ice Queen wasn't budging.

Every Triad wanted different parts of the city for different reasons, and when the perceived value of an area wasn't the same across the board, or at least between two of them in particular, then all was well and good and the areas in question could be freely traded, Triads swapping one point of interest for another back and forth endlessly and without any incident.

But when interest happened to overlap, however, and one group tried to broker a deal to acquire a valuable property from another group, or competed with them for an open space... well, that was usually when things got violent and the Triads in question would resort to duking it out on the streets, aiming to take their prize by force. Except, this time, they were actively trying to avoid that scenario, as devolving into an all-out turf war would be not only what the city was expecting, but _counting_ on.

No, if they were going to do this right and have some success with it, then they'd have to do things a little bit differently. This was a unique opportunity to try and approach things in a more peaceful manner, to barter over mutually valuable territories that might not otherwise be on the table without a flaming fist to the face or an icy spear through the chest.

But as far as Chiasa was concerned, this particular piece of territory was simply not up for debate. She couldn't allow herself to budge here, not even an inch.

“And 'alls I'm sayin' is',” The white-haired woman began, snootily mocking Atsushi's manner of speech. The Firebender scoffed. “If you want some of my organization's turf, fine, I have no problem with that, ask about whatever you want and maybe we can hash something out. _But the docks are off-limits_ , all of them. So please, stop asking. I made this clear to _both_ of you from the very start, and my patience is beginning to wear thin.” She bitterly reiterated. How long had they been at this now, anyway? A couple of hours, maybe? This argument was getting old.

She briefly looked around. Ravi still hadn't returned yet, it seemed. Unfortunate. He'd walked away again sometime during their last trade in order to tend to the last of the party's guests, meaning things were especially tense between her and Atsushi right about now. You know that old saying about fire and water not mixing? Well, Ravi was kind of the big, buff, Earthbending brick wall that stopped the two of them from constantly going for each other's throats. So with him being gone and Atsushi being Atsushi and Chiasa being Chiasa, well...

“Alright, listen here lady, you ain't the only one bringin' stuff in and out of Republic City, capiche? You can't own a total monopoly on shippin' here, especially not in harbors well within established Agni Kai territory!” Atsushi fired back just as bitterly, though in a manner more reflective of his fiery personality than Chiasa's brand of icy indifference. But given the elemental leanings of the organizations they led, it seemed fitting that they would be so fundamentally, characteristically opposed, even in personal temperament.

“ _And as I_ _have said_ _before_ , I will _let_ you and your lackeys smuggle your drugs and women in and out of my territories as much as you want, free of charge and without interference, but the city's remaining harbors will remain squarely in _my_ control. The Triple Threats have already taken over half of this city's ports as it is, I can't afford to let any more of them fall into theirs or anybody else's hands without it posing a significant threat to _my_ business, which, unlike yours, relies almost entirely on shipping. Unlike me, you can afford to _let it go_.” But unfortunately, as favored as they were by the icily inclined, those three words appeared incongruous with the Firebender's intentions tonight.

“So, what, I'm supposed ta trust you not ta screw me and _my_ gang over, butcha ain't gonna trust me ta extend ya the same damn courtesy!?” He asked, his pronunciation slipping as he rapidly grew more and more heated.

Chiasa could only smirk. He was quick to anger, but he was smarter than he looked.

“In a word, yes. Unlike you, I've shown myself to be more than willing to negotiate and iron out deals with my competitors that can benefit the both of us – and I don't just mean tonight. I make arrangements like these almost every day. And I mean, Ravi's had no problem working under these exact same terms, even in what would ordinarily be Terra turf. So what's _your_ damage?” She asked. Atsushi snarled.

“Yeah, well, I'm not Ravi, you didn't sleep with _me_. And, I'm sorry, what was that? Did you just imply that _I'm_ the one who's unwillin' to negotiate? Who the hell d'ya think it was who CALLED this damn meeting!?” He shouted, clenching his fists, steam rolling off his body in a rage. He was about ready to boil over, and Chiasa knew it.

Immediately, she sussed out any nearby water sources and readied herself for a fight, their surface tension stiffening as she grabbed hold of it with her bending, her breathing steady and eyes narrowed. She'd have liked to keep things civil, but, civil didn't usually last long with this guy. She was ready to fight at a moment's notice should his rage migrate into his fists like it normally did, but, thankfully, this was exactly when Ravi returned to finish mediating between the two.

“Technically I did, but admittedly you _were_ rather insistent about it.” The Earthbender replied, adjusting his cufflinks as he reentered the scene, closing the door to the club behind him. Immediately, Chiasa relaxed, releasing her hold on the nearby water, its surface tension returning to normal. Scary... Atsushi hadn't even noticed that she'd already grabbed hold of that puddle behind her.

“Not that Chiasa hadn't also expressed some interest in a meeting like this, if only in private, but, you're far from the only one, Atsushi. It takes two to negotiate.” The Firebender was unamused, gritting his teeth, but he began to regain his cool with Ravi back in-between them. This was _not_ somebody he wanted to throw down with.

“Believe it or not, this is about as close as you'll ever get to her being cooperative, so I would suggest that you take whatever deal she's offering you so that we can move on with all of this already, before she retracts her offer just to spite you.” He warned, looking down in the head of the Agni Kai's direction. It seemed like he wasn't being left much choice here, was he? Chiasa didn't just have his back pushed up against the wall – the wall was pushing back on him, too, now.

“Ah, Ravi, there you are. Finally, somebody sensible.” Chiasa greeted with a roll of her eyes, holding out her hand as if to ask for a smoke. The businessman obliged, handing her a cigarette from his jacket which she lit with a lighter from her long fur coat, breathing in the smoke in order to help clear her head before she elected to carry on with the world's most unpleasant business negotiation. Though, before she got back to that, there was something she wanted to ask...

“Did the President finally leave?”  
  
“Yes. He, Varrick and Ryuuki were the last to go; it's just us now.” Ravi replied, glancing upward. “I'm honestly surprised they stuck around so long, it's almost dawn. We should wrap this up soon.” Chiasa agreed, nodding once. She was beginning to grow weary of repeating herself, and if the ports were the only thing left on Atsushi's mind, then once they'd settled that little dispute, her business here should be done. Aside from his relentless pursuit of the southernmost harbor, tonight had been a pretty good night; they'd traded some interesting territories today. Aside from whatever still happened to be held by the Triple Threats, the city now looked to be much more evenly divided up amongst them.

But, with the Earthbender's confirmation, Chiasa nodded, happy to hear it and immediately feeling more at ease, though her momentary reprieve was broken when Atsushi decided to open his mouth again.

“Ugh, okay, look, how about this,” The Firebender began, eliciting an annoyed sigh from his Waterbending rival. 'Here we go again', she thought. “If Viper's still got a stick up his ass about playin' ball with us, then why don't we just team up and take back those ports he stole back from you so I can keep _mine_?” Chiasa rubbed her temples. Honestly, what did it matter? It was like she'd said before, her operations relied almost entirely on shipping, Atsushi's didn't. Why was this so important to him?

“Because these days, the Triple Threats have greater numbers than the Agni Kais and Red Monsoons combined. If we so much as _sneeze_ in their general direction, there's no guarantee they won't take it as an excuse to just wipe us off of the map entirely. The whole point of this little meet and greet is to avoid that and any other unnecessary violence so we can all just have our territories, take our stakes in the city, and then let each other be. But of course _Viper_ declined the invitation, probably at least in part because _somebody_ insisted it be held behind a bar, on a weekend, in enemy territory, _where all of the city's most powerful people were hauled up having a party_.”

Whether Atsushi owned this place or not didn't matter. As far as she was concerned, this was still a stupid idea, and they were lucky they weren't dead or in prison right now. Honestly, she wasn't entirely sure why _she'd_ elected to show up. Probably something to do with Ravi's insistence, she figured.

“That discrepancy in numbers is exactly why the Terra Triad is here to help mediate these proceedings. We are still not entirely recognized by the Triple Threats due to only reemerging _after_ Kuvira's attack, but even still, we aren't to be underestimated. We will help to fortify _both_ of your organizations so that you can stand on more equal terms with the Triple Threats and thus more effectively negotiate with them.” Ravi calmly explained, reaffirming his position as a somewhat neutral party in all that was going on. His organization held the least amount of territory of the 4, but it was strategically placed, and they were _still_ the strongest in the new business district where Future Industries was located, for obvious reasons.

“Right, mediate. Yer doin' a bang-up job there, Ravi ol' buddy ol' pal. Maybe if you stopped walkin' away every 10 raa-damn minutes...” Atsushi grumbled.

“The party is over and Asami has long since returned home with the Avatar. My attention is no longer divided.” Ravi coolly fired back. Atsushi stopped grumbling when he mentioned Asami, Ravi still eying him funny for threatening her earlier. What, did he have a crush on her, or something? 'Good luck wrestin' her away from the Avatar there, pal', Atsushi thought.

“What of Viper, anyway? Even with the Terra Triad backing us up, I'd still prefer not to fight and lose any men unless I have to.” Chiasa explained, taking another drag of her cigarette. “As much as I don't like the guy, I'd still like to try to hold a similar trading session with him sometime soon, particularly now that I have more territory to trade with. I know for a fact that he's been eying some of what I got off of Atsushi for a while now. I can work with this.” Ravi nodded.   
  
“I've arranged to speak with Viper myself later this week, but, you know how he is. I may be a wall, but that man is like a glacier.” Chiasa smirked.

“Maybe so, but he isn't the only one.” She slyly replied. Ravi quirked an eyebrow. “If worse comes to worse, you might still have an ace in the hole; I'm pretty sure that pissbender's afraid of me. Put me in a room with him alone and I can guarantee you his cooperation without ever having to do more than _threaten_ to lift a finger.” She confidently proclaimed.

“Still, at the same time, the way he looks at me makes me want to puke. Have you ever seen the face somebody makes when they're terrified of you, but at the same time, given the chance, they'd leap at the opportunity to plow you? I have. I might freeze his heart for the hell of it before I ever get him on board.” She shrugged. “Still, if you can't make any headway... you've got my number.” She grinned, immediately following it up with another drag. Ravi smirked. He liked his girl.

“I'll be sure to keep that in mind.” He replied simply.

In terms of pure bending skill, Viper was only moderately above average at best, but Chiasa... personally, Ravi had never seen a Waterbender like her before. She was gifted, a natural. In a one-on-one battle, Viper stood no chance, and he knew it. _Everybody_ knew it. The only thing that stopped Chiasa and the Red Monsoons from walking all over him were the Triple Threats' greater number of men and territories and the power and wealth that came with it. She may have run one of the city's premiere shipping companies, but, even her fortune paled in comparison to the Triple Threat war chest. As an organization, they were not to be trifled with.

“Okay, good, so it's decided then, we can handle Viper, I'm glad we all agree. Does this mean I get to keep my port, now?” Atsushi abruptly asked. The Waterbender's face immediately soured. Whatever good mood her confidence may have had her in was stifled the second he opened his mouth.

“For spirits' sake... this _again_? Why do you even care!? It's not like it's going to _change_ anything!” In all these hours of arguing, this may have been the first time Atsushi had seen her lose her cool. The Firebender quickly grinned, impressed. Had he just melted that seemingly impenetrable sheet of ice around her heart? It seemed as though her patience was at its limit. That little bit of passion had earned her a full response, he thought.

“Because my brother gave his life _winnin'_ me that slice of the city. Lettin' it revert back to you or _anybody_ else would be an insult to his memory. It's bad enough you swept it out from under me as soon as that there Colossus dust settled. So I ain't leavin' here satisfied until I get it back, even if I've gotta fight ya for it.”

...Oh.

Oh.

That... wasn't something either of them knew before.

Ravi glanced at Chiasa, but her face was indecipherable. He himself was aware of Atsushi's brother from when they were younger, but, he never knew that he'd died, only that he wasn't around anymore. He thought maybe he was in prison or something, but, that certainly explained away his absence, he supposed.

“...” Chiasa was unsure. She didn't really care about Atsushi _or_ his brother, but it wasn't like she didn't get it, either. This was _actually_ personal for him. She may not have wanted to surrender such a valuable territory to an organization she wasn't so sure she could trust, but, she also knew better than to try and cut through family ties in order to get what she wanted. She'd made that mistake before. With a defeated sigh, she finally relented. If worse came to worse, she could lean on Ravi to help enforce the terms of their agreement.

“Fine, whatever. Keep your damn port. Just extend to me the same benefits I was willing to extend to you and we can put this damn thing to bed, already.” She said, begrudgingly extending a hand. The gesture indicated cooperation, but her face displayed only frustration and defeat. Nevertheless, Atsushi nodded, reciprocating the gesture.

“That, I can do.” He agreed, shaking the Waterbender's hand and sealing their deal. She was glad she was wearing gloves right now. If she had to make skin-to-skin contact with this assclown she was probably going to puke.

“Then I think we're done here, unless there's anything else you wish to discuss.” The head of the Red Monsoons concluded, rescinding her hand, stomping out her cigarette, and readjusting her coat. She was ready to go home now. She'd missed out on a good night of sleep for this.

“Well, there's still the elephant koi in the room of that there Avatar problem.” Atsushi chimed in, looking now in Ravi's direction. “You keep sayin' you have a plan to 'take care of her', but ya still haven't filled me in on what that is exactly.” The larger man seemed unfazed.

“That's something that is best discussed amongst _all_ of the Triads. That includes the Triple Threats.” The businessman replied. He'd said that before, but it no longer seemed to be doing the trick, at least for Atsushi. If Chiasa was having any doubts about him now, too, she wasn't showing it. But, knowing how persistent the head of the Agni Kais could be, he supposed he could relent and give a little bit more information than that to hold them over.

“...The Avatar is not somebody who can be fought directly, not by any normal bender. Even if all four Triads worked together, we still wouldn't have power enough to defeat her. Do I need to remind you what she did to Kuvira's Colossus? Or to the Chi Eater?” From the look on Atsushi's face, it appeared that he didn't.

“She does not operate entirely within the law. She will not hesitate to call us out and fight us in the streets. She's done it before. Therefore, until our power is secure and the entire city is under our control, the best we can hope to do is watch her movements and find other ways to distract her, other problems we can throw her attention onto, whether they're of our design or not.” Other problems?

“And what did you have in mind?” Chiasa asked, clearly becoming curious now. Ravi smirked.

“That, I'm afraid, I can't tell you two until Viper is here, as well. My plan hinges on the four of us working together. So if he isn't here and willing to at least _consider_ playing ball, then we stand no chance at succeeding.” He explained. Well, whatever his full plan was, it better have been good, Atsushi thought.

“I've already been making use of my relationship with her fiancee to subtly direct her movements, but that's only a temporary solution. Meeting up with Viper should now become our top priority. If either of you have anything you've been holding back on that might prompt him to bite, now would be the time to use it. Once we're all together again, I'll mediate the proceedings just like I did with tonight's and explain the full breadth of my plan.” He concluded.

“Hrm...” Atsushi hummed, not entirely buying the Earthbender's explanation. He tended to be a man of his word, but, something about all of this felt... _off_ to him. There was something he wasn't telling them, but he'd said that much himself. But it was still new. The Ravi he knew didn't used to be so vague. But, the Ravi he knew also didn't used to lead an entire Bending Triad, either.

“...Okay then, Mr. Mediator. If you say so.” He shrugged. No use arguing about it now. “I'll leave it up to _you_ to get that weaselsnake's blessing, then.” Like hell _he_ was going to do it, he couldn't stand that guy. He clashed harder with him than he ever did with Chiasa; at least _she_ could be semi-reasonable sometimes.

“I second that sentiment.” Chiasa tacked on. “Like I said before, Viper may fear me, but that still doesn't mean I enjoy dealing with him. I'll put my faith in your powers of persuasion, my silver-tongued Metalbender.” She and Ravi both grinned.

“Oy, I think I'm going to be sick...” Atsushi groaned, dragging his hand down his face. “I'm done here. You two do... whatever it is you two do. I'm gonna go get some shut-eye.” He proclaimed, giving the two rival gangsters a lazy wave goodbye before walking away.

“Finally, he says something I can agree with.” Chiasa half-joked, looking relieved that he was gone now. “I could use some sleep, myself. Of course, you're free to join me, if you'd like...” He appreciated the invitation, but...

“Not tonight, I'm afraid. I'll see you Friday, Chiasa.” Ah, shot down. C'est la vie.

“Oh well, suit yourself. Later then, boulder boy.” She winked, leaving the man in the alley with his thoughts. Alone again, he sighed, lighting another cigarette for himself before turning and walking away.

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

“What do you mean the Chi Eater isn't dead?!” Of all the things that her job entailed, this was probably one of her least favorite. If the look on her face wasn't enough to make the Avatar retreat, the anger in her voice certainly was. Giving bad news to a Beifong was never a fun activity, but giving it to _Lin_ Beifong? Definitely not one of Korra's favorite Avatar duties.

Before she headed off into the Spirit World again to see if she could find out anything new about the Chi Eater, Korra had elected to schedule an impromptu meeting between herself, Lin, Raiko, and Mako and Bolin, first, in order to fill them in on what was going on and what she'd figured out. Lin and Raiko were obvious given who they were, but Mako and Bolin, as members of Team Avatar _and_ the two whose case the Chi Eater killings fell under the jurisdiction of, also deserved to know, in her mind.

Curiously, though, she'd elected _not_ to invite Tenzin, turning the meeting into a 5 person affair as opposed to 6. Perhaps it was due to him having his hands full with Opal, or perhaps it was because she didn't want to worry him again until she had some specifics (like a name) to work with, or maybe she just didn't think it was as important for him to know since he wasn't as immediately involved with this case as the rest of them. Whatever the case, the lack of his presence was still felt, if only by the Avatar.

With an annoyed sigh, the Chief of Police turned around, facing the window behind her desk and rubbing the bridge of her nose. She knew better than to expect good news when the Avatar asked to meet with her _and_ Raiko, especially after last night, but part of her still hoped that she was wrong. Or, that if she wasn't, that it was about something less awful than this. Following up on Opal maybe, or securing a visit to Kuvira. That, she would've been fine with. That, she could've _dealt_ with. But this?

“It's... it's exactly what I just said. I don't think the Chi Eater is actually dead. I think Republic City might still be in danger.” Korra replied, meekly at first. She'd fought against giant metal monsters and all-powerful spirit kites, but, somehow, Lin still managed to actually intimidate her.

While the Chief cursed her luck beneath her breath, trying to process what the Avatar was saying, the look on Raiko's face became grim. He'd gotten far closer to that... _thing_ than he would've liked, so he'd seen firsthand what it was capable of. If the Avatar's latest claim proved true, then he knew just how bad this might actually be.

“And you're sure about this?” The President asked. Before Korra could even open her mouth to respond, the Firebender to her right had answered in her stead, defending his friend.

“I don't think she would've called all of us in here if she wasn't, sir.” Mako said, the Water Tribe girl giving him a thankful smile in response. He flashed a small shrug and a quick grin in return. He remembered how much she hated dealing with stuff like this.

“I don't get it... the killings stopped, bodies stopped appearing.” The Beifong began, still trying to figure out where Korra got the idea it was still alive from. Had she seen something Lin hadn't? “I saw you kill that thing myself. The whole damn _world_ watched it die. How the hell could it still be alive?!” Lin demanded, turning back around and slamming her hands onto her desk.

Papers flew as Korra withdrew with a wince once again, partially because of Lin and partially because she didn't like talking about that fight, but Mako seemed to be just fine, pissed off Beifong and all. Bolin, too, come to think of it. Seemed as though they'd already grown accustomed to their chief's attitude. Though, given Opal's heritage, she supposed Bolin may have had some extra practice here and there...

“Don't get me wrong, the Chi Eater _spirit_ is... it's gone,” Korra began, quickly brushing past any further talk about that night. “But the one that created it, the _real_ Chi Eater, I think he might still be alive, _and_ on the hunt.”

“He?” Raiko asked.

“You _think_?” Lin tacked on. The Avatar frowned.

“The spirits seem to think so, yes. That's why they still haven't all come back.” Korra said. The Chief fell quieter after that. She was beginning to wonder about them, herself. But she also didn't want to think too much about it. She wanted to believe this was over.

“I was talking with one earlier in the day yesterday, and he said that all of the older spirits are convinced that the Chi Eater's still alive. The way he put it, what we fought was just a corrupted spirit. Whoever created it, I think he wanted us to think that it was the _real_ Chi Eater, to give us something to hunt down and fight while he kept on doing his thing undetected.”

“In other words, you're saying it was a decoy.” Mako summarized. Korra nodded. The Firebender let out a defeated sigh. “It makes sense. We already knew that the Chi Eater was smart, but I think we may have underestimated just _how_ smart; probably because we were still so focused on it being a spirit of some sort. But if that spirit we fought was just a decoy, then the real culprit probably knew he wouldn't be able to get away with this unnoticed forever and prepared for that well in advance, just in case anybody ever knew to come looking.”

“So basically what you're saying is we've been duped.” The two young benders agreed and Lin grit her teeth. She hated it when criminals were smart. But when you've been at it for over a thousand years...

Still, none of this so far had explicitly ruled out the possibility that the spirit was just some sort of holdover from a thousand years ago. It was interesting, sure, but she failed to see how it screamed 'The real Chi Eater is still alive' so far. Before she could ask Korra why she thought that was the case, however, the President interjected.

“How are you so sure that this 'real' Chi Eater is a 'he'?” Raiko asked again.

“Well... I'm not entirely sure I do know, exactly? I mean... I kind of do, I think, but...” The President looked concerned. Korra didn't think she was explaining is this properly. Letting out a small, frustrated sigh, she tried again.

“That much I got from a dream. Which... okay, I know how it sounds, but, it matched something I saw when I landed the finishing blow on that spirit; a vision I had.” At this, Raiko quirked an eyebrow while Mako and Bolin exchanged a look.

“A vision? You never told us about any vision...” The younger of the bending brothers said, a little confused. Korra gave a sorrowful look.

“I'm sorry, it didn't seem like it was all that relevant at the time, I thought it was nothing. But when I landed that final hit, it showed me something. A... a hill, and I guess all the other spirits that the decoy had eaten in its lifetime, and it thanked me for stopping it. Then, last night, I had a dream that took place on that same hill, and the feeling I had was exactly the same as the one I had in that vision. There were a few times in that fight, when I was bending the Chi Eater's energy, that I felt like it was trying to tell me something, but I couldn't always make it all out. Now, I think it may have been trying to tell me who was behind all of this.” Korra sighed.

She wished it was easier to explain all of this Avatar Stuff™ to people than it was. They always ended up looking at her confused or like she had six heads or something instead, trusting her judgment because weird things like this tended to happen to the Great Bridge, but also finding it somewhat laughable that something as seemingly simple as a _dream_ could  be of such grave importance. After all, strange dreams and nightmares happened all the time, even to the Avatar, as Korra knew all-too-well. But, when the Avatar seemed sure about something, people still listened, no matter how silly or outlandish it may have sounded on the surface.

“So you know the Chi Eater's true identity, then?” Raiko asked further.

“No, not yet. All I know for sure is that it's a guy and that, apparently, at some point, we saw each other. The spirit didn't tell me anything more than that, in my vision _or_ in my dream.” She defeatedly replied, rubbing her right arm. Maybe if she'd tried a little harder to connect with it, to ask it questions, she could've figured that out and been done with all of this by now. But instead, she killed it, and now she was stuck here playing catch up with an ancient serial killer. She couldn't help but feel like it was partially her fault, somehow.

If the decoy's creator had killed anybody else since then because she hadn't stopped fighting long enough to ask the right questions, if her killing it had ended up leading to somebody else's death, she...

“Great, that narrows it down to, what, half the population?” Lin complained with a shrug, returning her fingers to the bridge of her nose immediately afterward. She clearly seemed to be stressed.

“What I don't get is how he could even still be alive.” Mako commented. He had a point. They'd seen reports of this thing dating back centuries. Surely nobody could actually live for that long, right? “He'd have to be well over a thousand years old by now. Is it even possible for a human to prolong their life for that long?” He asked. Aside from her dream, they didn't have any evidence that he was still alive, but the detective wasn't about to question her about that now; if she was sure, he believed her.

“I don't know.” Korra said, concerned. “Whoever he is, he's definitely an Energybender, though, so honestly anything's possible. I still don't fully understand it yet, but, I know it's really old _and_ really powerful. You've seen what I've been able to do with it in just a couple of years, mainly out of desperation, but if he's really been at this for more than a thousand years, then...” Korra's look hardened. She didn't like where this was going.

“Maybe the Chi Eater isn't just one man.” Raiko suggested. Korra quirked an eyebrow. “What if he _is_ an Energybender like you say, but he isn't the first? What if this power is something that's been passed down over generations with the spirit as a kind of pet, sort of like your past lives and their animal guides?” Korra would ignore the insinuation that Naga was just a pet for now to address the crux of the President's question instead.

“Well, I mean, I guess it's possible, but... I don't know. If it was more than just one person, then I feel like the spirit would've tried to tell me that. But it said he, singular, implying that all off this is the work of a single man.” A really, _really_ old man.

“Maybe that's why he takes people's chi.” Mako suggested, everybody's focus _immediately_ shifting to him. Well that was a little uncomfortable.

“Ooh, yeah! Like maybe he's some sort of energy stealing vampire!” Bolin chimed in, expanding off of Mako's comment with his signature bravado, mimicking fangs with his index fingers held out in front of his mouth. Ordinarily, his older brother would shoot down an idea like that for being ridiculous, but, for once, he and Bolin actually seemed to be on the same page.

“Well, actually... yeah. That's exactly what I was getting at.” Bolin looked confused, but Korra seemed even more-so. Really? Mako's look screamed 'hear me out on this one', though, so she allowed him to continue.

“Korra, you never figured out _why_ the Chi Eater was stealing people's chi, did you?”

“No, it never really made any sense to me. The best Raava and I could figure out was that it was using people's energy to make itself stronger for some reason... which it was. You saw what it did with those Spirit Beams.” Mako nodded. “But... that explanation never really sat right with me, or with Raava. It just seems too... _human_.” Korra ended with a shrug.

“Well, then, what if the Chi Eater was more than just a decoy? What if it also gathered energy for whoever created it and then gave it back to him later so that he could extend his lifespan with it? We already know that the spirit you encountered could definitely steal people's chi – it'd eaten its way through a number of officers before crashing the mover premiere, and it'd tried its hand at eating both of _us_ while we were fighting it – so, what if it selected victims for the _real_ Chi Eater to feast on while also taking care of some of the work for him if or when he was weak, or otherwise under threat of exposure? If he's really as old as we think he is, then it'd make sense, especially if he starts getting slower and older again once he exhausts all of the energy that he's stolen.”

“That could explain the 25 year cycle.” Lin suggested, putting her thumb and index finger to her chin in thought. Mako nodded in agreement, but Korra seemed unsure.

“I... maybe? I don't even know if that's possible, honestly. I mean... extending your lifespan by taking other people's chi?” Korra wondered, trying to compare what she knew about spirits, humans and energy with what Mako was suggesting. As far as she could tell, it wasn't necessarily _impossible_ , but, she wasn't sure if it was all that _plausible_ , either.

“But... it _would_ explain a lot. The vibe I got every time I connected with the Chi Eater spirit is that it was desperate; it kept repeating “I will not die, I will not die” to itself. Except, I don't think that was the spirit talking as much as it was whoever corrupted it or was controlling it. There was more than one soul inside of that thing.” Not counting the ones it'd eaten, that was – she meant the core entity's spiritual center. She'd only neglected to mention it before because she didn't think whoever had corrupted it could possibly still be alive. But... she stood corrected, it would seem.

“Ugh, now that's just scary. A thousand year old man going around sucking out people's chi like some sort of energy-sucking vampire?” Bolin shuddered at the thought. “I wonder if that energy makes him look young, too. Otherwise he'd have to look like some sort of wrinkly old raisin or something by now, right?” He was being a little dramatic, but it was still a good question. In all likelihood the answer was yes, it did make him look young, but they couldn't be sure. All of this was still purely theoretical.

“I'll admit, all of this _would_ explain a lot about the Chi Eater's behavior and why somebody would use it to target another person's chi in the first place, but, the only problem is...” Korra paused, her eyes downcast and her look softening with the dawning of uncertainty. “It shouldn't be possible for him to have more than his own energy inside of him. Our bodies aren't made to work that way.”

“Yours does.” Lin remarked.

“That's different.” The Avatar replied. “Raava and I aren't two completely separate entities anymore, not entirely. Our spirits became one when she willingly fused with Avatar Wan over 10,000 years ago, but this isn't like that. What you guys are describing is somebody forcibly extracting another person's energy from their body, taking it into his own, somehow managing to burn through _all_ of that in a quarter of a century, and then repeating that process over and over again for more than a thousand years. He should've overloaded his body _and_ his spirit the second he first introduced somebody else's energy into his body. I don't care how good of an Energybender he might or might not be, the human body is _not_ made to hold onto and burn through spiritual energy like that.”

At least, not as far as she knew.

It was the same reason why nobody else but the Avatar could bend all of the elements. She only really had that power because _Raava_ had that power, and Raava only had that power because held onto the knowledge and the energy transferred to her and Wan by the Lion Turtles. Spirits – especially older, more powerful ones like Raava – were more than capable of holding onto more than one energy inside of themselves and finding equilibrium with that, adapting to that. As beings of pure energy, it came more naturally to them.

But humans are different. They're more set in stone, in some ways, because they also have physical bodies made up of physical matter. If a spirit ever entered into their body, they would begin to mutate and die because their physical forms couldn't adapt to the excess energy, and if they tried to carry the power to bend more than one element, their body would be overloaded by the necessary chi and they'd die as a result. The Chi Eater should've been the same way, no matter how strong he was. No amount of Energybending should be able to save him from that.

And yet... that appeared to be the most fitting explanation for almost everything they'd seen and learned so far. She just couldn't understand _how_. There were still a few pieces missing to this puzzle and it was stopping her from seeing the whole picture. She still didn't even entirely understand the Chi Eater's motivations for doing all of this aside from extending his lifespan. But why? Why go through all that trouble? It couldn't really be that simple, could it? What was he after?

However informative this little meet and greet and its theory session may have been, she wasn't going to find those answers here. She knew where she had to go next. And that meant it was time to wrap things up here.

“...Whatever the case,” She began, breaking the silence she'd created. “We could stand here and trade ideas back and forth all we want, but that's not going to stop him from taking any more lives. We know he operates on a cycle, and now we might have an idea why. So if that decoy helped gather energy for him, then he may be out there doing it on his own now, meaning-”

“Meaning he might finally be vulnerable for once.” Lin finished. Korra nodded. “I'll alert my officers, tell them to stay on guard and keep an eye out for this sociopath.”

“Maybe you should hold off on that a little longer, Chief,” Mako interjected before Lin could formalize her course of action, the Beifong and the Avatar both looking in his direction. “The last thing we want to do right now is cause another panic. I'm guessing that's why Korra called this meeting between the five of us alone – not even Tenzin's here right now.” The Firebender posited. The look in Korra's eyes told him he was right.

“There's a lot of new blood in the force right now. If you tell them the Chi Eater's still alive, you might end up spooking some of them, and if that happens, they might end up telling people. Friends, loved ones, the press... before long, the whole city will be in a state of panic and any element of surprise we might have right now would be gone. I'm guessing if he's been at this for as long as we all think he has, he feels pretty secure in his plan. He probably wouldn't think we've figured him out.” Lin paused for a moment.

“...You might be right.” The Chief conceded. “But if we _are_ going to catch this guy, we _do_ need some feet on the ground looking for any signs of suspicious, potentially Chi Eater related activity. In which case, I'm still going to pass this on to some of our more veteran officers... ones I know I can trust.” Korra and Mako both nodded in response. In the event that even the spirits didn't know the Chi Eater's true identity, having some 'feet on the ground' trying their best to track him down would be their next best bet.

“There's only one thing I don't get.” Raiko said, rubbing his chin in thought. It'd been a while since he'd spoken up. “If this Chi Eater really does have some sort of cycle and need to kill people and drain them of their chi, why haven't any more bodies turned up since the premiere?” That... was actually a pretty good question. “He wasn't exactly subtle about his methods before, he basically left mummies in his wake with every attack. I haven't heard about any more mummies turning up recently. Have you?” He asked.

“No.” Lin replied simply. “It's why we all thought this was over with.” She sighed. Raiko seemed concerned, but before he could voice those concerns (which likely would've included questioning Korra's reliability here, if she knew him at all), Lin perked back up, digging through the myriad of scattered papers on her desk in search of something. Finding it, she picked it up and quickly scanned it as she continued.

“However... I did notice something strange, recently. There's been a higher than average number of missing persons reports filed this month. I didn't really think anything of it before, I figured it just had to do with the state of the city and the movement of the Triads lately, but... it roughly correlates to around the time those bodies first started appearing. It could be that he's been taking more victims than we know about and simply disposing of the remains so that they won't be found.” Lin suggested.

“Then why would he have left any bodies behind in the first place? Are we supposed to assume he just... slipped up, or something?” Raiko asked.

“Maybe not. If the spirit really was a decoy, then maybe he wanted it to be found.” Mako said. The focus of the room again returned to the detective. “What if he thought he might be spotted this time around? We live in a more connected world than ever before right now. He can't just rely on distance anymore to conceal himself and his movements, especially not if he's taken to hunting in big cities too. His options are beginning to become a lot more limited. So, maybe, instead of waiting for some sort of mistake to reveal him...”

“...He chose to reveal himself on his own terms and let us 'stop' him while he keeps working alone from the shadows...” Korra finished, her ex nodding silently in response. That... also made a lot of sense, honestly.

“He took us for a bunch of chumps... he didn't think any of us would keep investigating after all the hubbub at the premiere was dealt with.” Lin realized, gritting her teeth. The worst part was he was right. It was only because Korra had felt something was off that they were even talking about this right now.

“Yeah, well, he underestimated the Avatar.” Korra said with a smirk. “I'm not sure if any of this is right or not, but I know one way I can find out.” Her confidence returned, she was more eager now than ever to get back into the Spirit World and put this thing to bed. If anybody was going to have some answers for her, it was going to be the spirits.

“You're right. Go, we'll handle things on this side as best we can.” Lin replied. The Avatar nodded.

“With any luck, when I come back, I'll have an identity we can work with and we can go take this creep down once and for all.” She concluded, pounding her fist into her hand in a show of confidence. “I'll let you guys know as soon as I'm back.” Lin nodded. Raiko seemed unsure, but, nevertheless gave his approval, as well. Much as he may have hated it, there wasn't much anybody could do in this situation, Avatar or otherwise.

Turning and leaving the room, as she made her way through the office and toward the hall, the sound of hurried footsteps closed in from behind her. “Korra, wait up!” Mako called, having apparently run to catch up with her before she left. He seemed to be in a better mood today; that was good, she thought.

“Mako? What's up?” She asked. Bolin seemed to have stayed behind. Usually it was the other way around, at least as of late.

“I want to go with you. Things are pretty crazy right now, and if this Chi Eater's corrupted any more spirits, you're going to need all the help you can get... my Lightning seemed to be one of the only things that actually hurt that thing last week.” Korra frowned. He had a point, but...

“Thanks, Mako, but, I think it's better if I go alone.” She replied. Mako's face sunk. “I'm just going into the Spirit World, I'll be fine.” She reassured with a smile. “They just don't really like talking to humans at the best of times, not even the Avatar. At least not if they're old, anyway. If I showed up with anybody else, there's no guarantee I'd be able to talk to any of them.” She admitted with a frown.

“So, I appreciate the offer, but... it's probably not the best idea, this time around. Besides, I thought you said it hurt to Firebend lately, anyway, because of your scar? I wouldn't want you to push yourself and make it any worse; you still need time to build your strength back up.” Mako looked a little confused.

“...? Didn't I tell you?” He asked. Now Korra was the one who was confused. “Last night, at the party? Ryuuki healed me. I don't know how he did it, exactly, but... I'm as good as new, now. It's amazing!”

...That's right, she'd almost forgotten. He _had_ mentioned something about that last night, hadn't he? She thought he was just drunk, ranting and raving about Ryuuki of all people, or that maybe it was part of a dream, so she'd just written it off and forgotten about it, but... apparently not?

“I... what? You mean that actually happened?” She asked. Mako nodded.

“Yeah, I don't really get the specifics, but... I guess it's like that Fire Sage you mentioned meeting back before Harmonic Convergence?” Korra seemed unsure. She figured it wasn't impossible, but... Firebending healers were pretty rare to say the least, especially since the Hundred Year War. It was a dying art. But then again, Ryuuki had surprised her before during the premiere with those blue flames of his, so she couldn't exactly rule it out, either. Still, though...

“...I don't know, maybe. Ryuuki never really struck me as the type for the healing arts, but, maybe I'm wrong? I mean, _I_ managed to learn them.” And when she did, she had a way more fiery personality than Ryuuki did. He just seemed too... well, she wouldn't go so far as to say _daft_ , but, something like that, she supposed. “If you want, I can take a closer look at it when I get back, see if maybe I can learn something from it?” She asked. Mako nodded. “For now, though, I should probably get going.”

“Right, yeah, sorry. Good luck!” He wished. Korra smiled. Well, whatever Ryuuki had done, at least it seemed to have him in high spirits again. As for right now though, there was somewhere else she needed be.

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

In the aftermath of Opal's attack, one thing had become clear – Kuvira needed more guards. Not in fear that she might escape, but rather, in fear that somebody else would try and finish what she started. And this time, a select few Airbenders from Air Temple Island – handpicked by Raiko and Tenzin – were there to help fill in the ranks.

While Korra had elected not to divulge the full extent of what Opal had done – or at least, had tried to do – this didn't mean she didn't still face consequences for her known actions, ones the Avatar couldn't have prevented from getting out, such as attacking the RCPD and United Forces officers stationed at her cell. Sure, they didn't like her either, _or_ having to spend their days and nights defending her, but, orders were orders and a job was a job. For at least that much, Opal would likely end up facing some sort of disciplinary action.

But... in all honesty, it would probably only be a slap on the wrist. Since she'd knocked all of the guards unconscious, nobody knew what actually went down last night except for Korra and Kuvira, and from what the former had said about the proceedings, it 'wasn't that bad'.

When she'd heard the report on the event over the guards' new, even louder radio (because _of course_ the first thing they had to do was get their hands on another), the Metalbender scoffed. So that's how it was going to be then, huh? She wasn't surprised. Being friends with the Avatar had its benefits, after all, and she wasn't surprised Su had used them.

Because really, who else would be behind a coverup like this? Korra didn't have it in her, not alone. She probably promised Opal to keep quiet for her sake, but, actually managing the aftermath of things... the Avatar likely would've distanced herself after Opal alone and left it to Su and Tenzin to figure out. Hell, the bulk of her punishment was probably being overseen by that pedantic pushover of a monk.

I mean, it's not like the President was going to interfere, or anything. Regardless of how big he talked, that spineless weasel snake always trusted Tenzin to advise him on and help him out of situations like this. One could wonder if Tenzin had ever really stepped down from his leadership position in the city what with the way the president still so heavily relied on him. If Tenzin was the one dishing out the consequences, then Opal was definitely going to be getting off easy. Honestly, what was he going to have her do? A thousand forms? Repeat basic training? Re-study all of the monks' old teachings?

But hey, who cared about her, right? She was just another fallen dictator. As far as the general public was concerned, she'd gotten what she deserved. Why would anybody look any further into it than that?

The sound of a motorboat broke Kuvira's train of thought, the woman raising her head from its position in her knees which had been pulled up into her chest, her ear involuntarily twitching back to see if she could hear who it was.

If Opal had come to finish the job, she would've come silently by air like before. Korra could've Waterbent her way over here, but she couldn't discount the possibility that she took a boat, either. Or maybe it was Raiko, come to question her on the specifics of what'd happened? After all, he barely trusted Korra, even now.

But... no.

No, she knew those footsteps. The sound of that gait. The wooden floor creaked as her mysterious visitor made her way over to her cell. “I'm here to speak with Kuvira. I have clearance from the President.” She knew that voice, too. There was no doubt about it, then. It was her.

Suyin Beifong.

What at first was an expression of disdain had contorted itself into a grin, Kuvira rising up from her seated position to stand tall, shakily recalling her posture while the guards performed a routine security check on the VIP visitor, making sure she hadn't brought anything metal with her Kuvira could bend. But the would-be empress didn't turn to face her so she could look her in the eyes when she approached – not just yet.

The thought of what was about to happen filled her with an unusual sense of joy. She'd expected her to cover up the truth of what'd happened immediately, that was definitely Suyin's style, but honestly, she never would've expected her to come _visit_ her, not after what'd happened. She always chose to maintain her distance and avoid public scrutiny or plausible culpability when situations like these went down. This could be fun.

With the check completed, the Beifong's footsteps resumed, and as she drew closer, a wooden chair was placed down for her in front of the cell.Kuvira scoffed at the gesture. She wasn't provided with such luxuries. Standing up or sitting down on the floor were her only two options, and for now, she'd chosen to stand. Su appeared to have chosen the same as she requested she be left alone with her fallen protege, as Kuvira didn't hear any creaking from the seat as the guards walked away, only from the floor below them. Suyin's footsteps, meanwhile, stopped directly in front of the wooden cage.

Kuvira chose to speak before Suyin could even open her mouth.

“Well, well, well... I never would've expected to see _you_ here after that stunt your daughter pulled last night.” She began. The look of smug satisfaction on her face was practically audible. “I honestly didn't know she had that in her. But come on, Suyin, having the Avatar cover for you? Really? That's a new low, even for you. I-”

As Kuvira turned to continue chastising the matriarch of the Metal Clan, she stopped, the sight she saw before her wiping all of the smugness from her face. She stumbled back, losing hold of the posture she'd narrowly reclaimed from her hunger as her heart skipped a beat, her mind struggling to comprehend what it was she was seeing.

Suyin was _bowing_ to her.

Not in the way that one would bow to somebody in a position of power, no, but rather, in the way one would bow to another to beg them for forgiveness. She was making it as clear as she possibly could that she wasn't here for a fight. She wasn't here to argue, or make excuses, or come down on Kuvira anymore. She was here to apologize. And that... _that_ was something that Kuvira had no idea how to respond to. The look on her face was one of pure shock. She wore it uncomfortably.

“I'm sorry.” Suyin stated simply, maintaining her bowed position. “For everything.”

Kuvira looked around. Was this some sort of joke, or publicity stunt, or something? But... there was nobody. The guards had all gathered back together in the break room –perhaps to help with repairs – and were paying her and her visitor no mind. There didn't appear to be any press around, either, or Raiko, or Tenzin, or anybody else for that matter. It was just... her.

Kuvira grit her teeth.

“What is this?” She asked, desperate and angry. She was more than a little confused, and Suyin could hear it.

“An apology.” She repeated. As she rose from her bowed position and finally accepted the seat that had been placed there for her, Kuvira had been rendered completely speechless. She still seemed to be confused. “I am here to apologize, Kuvira. For everything. To tell you that you were right about me. Maybe not on everything, but on enough. I'm here to tell you that _I'm sorry_ for what Opal tried to do to you last night. But more importantly than any of that, I'm here to tell you that I'm sorry for _everything_ that has happened. All of it.”

“...” Kuvira had no words, so Suyin continued saying hers.

“One way or another, all of this is my fault – even Opal. For all intents and purposes, for better or for worse, I was your mother, Kuvira. I helped shape who you are, who you became, how you acted. Maybe not entirely – you were a kid when I took you in, but, not an infant; I didn't raise you from the very beginning – but for the better part of your life, I was all you had to look up to. How you turned out, how you lashed out... I think maybe it says more about me than I've been willing to admit, and I'm sorry.” She said.

Kuvira remained silent.

“I tried to give you everything, to help you feel like you belonged, like you were wanted. And you were! But far too often, I tried to... _ignore_ problems between you and Opal, I tried to let you two work out your own differences. I saw what was going on, but I never thought it was... I should've known from how my mother raised me and _my_ sister that it wouldn't work out, but I didn't know what else to do. I'd always hoped that things would turn out differently than they did with Lin and I, but after last night...” Su looked down.

But Kuvira still wasn't saying anything.

“...But I guess the problem runs even deeper than that. I think... I think maybe after I learned that you were an Earthbender, when I found out that you could Metalbend... ...spirits, you were so eager to please...” She reminisced, laughing beneath her breath as she wiped a tear from her eye. Kuvira remembered that day, too. She'd been trying for weeks and weeks in secret and had figured it out entirely on her own. She'd wanted so badly to impress Suyin. And she had.

“I think maybe after that, I went too far. Maybe I gave you the wrong idea of me, or of our relationship. The way you spoke of me when you left... it was like you thought all I ever cared about was your talent. You made it sound like all I ever cared about was how people perceived me, how great you and Zaofu reflected on me, like I never cared about you personally, but _nothing_ could've been further from the truth. Everything I did, I did to empower you, to try and _bond_ with you. And for a long time, I thought it was working. But... maybe it wasn't.”

Though Suyin may have wished she'd have said something by now, Kuvira _still_ refused, stubbornly continuing to maintain her silence. But perhaps it was for the best. There was a lot she wanted to say, today.

“Maybe you needed more than an instructor. Maybe, outside of training, I didn't show you enough love. Maybe you felt like you could never really fit in, because I wasn't _really_ your mother, you weren't _really_ my kid, and deep down you knew that, you feared that. I don't know. But I should. I should've known. I should've paid more attention. But I didn't. I have a bad habit of ignoring my flaws and problems until they get bad enough to bite me in the ass.” The understatement of the century, she thought.

“I've always tried to rationalize my shortcomings, to gloss over my imperfections, to always put my best face forward. And coming from the background that I did, I guess it makes sense that I would. I had a lot I wanted to forget, a lot of mistakes I wanted to show people I was better than. But maybe in doing that... maybe, if I'd just stopped for a minute and tried to _talk_ with you...”

This time, Su went silent, if only for a moment. Kuvira seemed intent not to break that silence. Her eyes were downward cast.

“I'm sorry, Kuvira. For everything. In spite of how you might've seen me growing up, in spite of what you might believe about me, in spite of _everything_ that has happened... I love you. You, in my eyes, will always be my daughter, and I have never considered you anything less, not since the day I elected to accept you into Zaofu, into my family. But I expected more from you than I maybe should have, than I'd prepared you for, and that's on me. What you've done is _still_ unforgivable, but... I cannot ignore my role in it any longer. I cannot ignore the precedent I've set in how I've been acting, reacting, and refusing to address this. To address _us_. But not anymore. So I'm sorry.” She finished.

The look in her eyes showed that she was serious, remorseful even, but Kuvira didn't need to look her in the eyes to know that she was. She could hear it in her voice. Even still, she refused to look back up, her eyes remaining downcast and obscured as she replied in as simple and succinct a way as she could.

“Leave.”

Su was taken back. She wasn't going to say anything? After all of these years, she _finally_ gets what she wants, and she just wants her to _leave_? But rather than being upset, Suyin seemed to be concerned. She could tell that something was off.

“I... what? Kuvira-” As she reached toward her slightly, Kuvira finally looked back up, repeating her previous demand.  
  
“I SAID LEAVE!” Now that she was looking right at her, Suyin understood. Nodding once, she stood back up, lingering for a moment, watching as Kuvira turned around and sat back down in the center of her cell, then turned to walk away herself.

There were tears in her eyes.

In all of these years, Suyin wasn't sure she'd _ever_ seen Kuvira cry.

She'd said all she needed to for today.

“...Suyin, wait.” Kuvira meekly tacked on, speaking back up just before the Beifong walked out of earshot and re-checked with the guards. The older woman paused, turning around as she listened. “...Next time you see Korra... let her know I'm ready to talk.”

...Korra?

She seemed a little puzzled by the request, but nevertheless, Suyin nodded. It was the least she could do, for now. Maybe she and Kuvira would get their talk later. But at least for right now, what was said had been enough.

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

For Korra, few things compared to the sensation of stepping through a Spirit Portal and physically transporting into the Spirit World. In her extended vacation with her then-girlfriend here, this place had come to feel like another home to her, so stepping through a portal was like stepping through her bedroom door back down in the South Pole, or on Air Temple Island, or at the estate. But even before that vacation, something about coming here filled her with a sense of peace, and wholeness. One like she rarely felt.

Maybe it was because of Raava and the fact that, technically, she was herself part-spirit, but this place always felt like home, in a way, ever since the first time she traveled here, back during Harmonic Convergence. She was closer to Raava here than anywhere else, too. While in the Physical World it would take great concentration and a meditative state to contact her, here, it always felt as though she were just beneath the surface, and speaking with her was as easy as thinking. It was something she'd become accustomed to during her vacation and it was nice to have that sense of connection back.

Unfortunately, as quickly as the peace that came with that sense of wholeness and reconnection had overcome her, it had left, the smile on her lips fading as she felt the energy of the world around her change and her senses adjusted. This didn't feel like the same Spirit World she was living in only a couple of weeks ago. This felt... different. Empty. As she looked around, she saw why, as it became clear that the area was devoid of any spirit activity whatsoever.

An uneasy silence filled the area, broken only by an equally uneasy breeze blowing through the grass and flowers around her, and the distant trickling of water from a stream that she knew to be nearby. She was confused. Normally, this meadow was bustling with spirits of all shapes and sizes, due in large part to the new Spirit Portal that stood in its center. They'd come and go from Republic City in an almost constant, steady stream, gathering in crowds to hang out and converse and check out how the Physical World had changed since the time of Wan, but now... now, there was no one.

Was all of this really because of the Chi Eater? Was the threat that he posed really this great?

Frowning, Korra pressed on, walking through the flowers for what felt like forever. Everywhere she looked, she could see signs of activity that once was. Burrows in the ground made by gopher-like spirits left abandoned, tables carved out of stumps left with half-full cups of tea, chairs overturned all around – it looked to her as though they'd cleared out of here quickly, like something had spooked them, all at once. Something bad enough to force them to retreat further into the Spirit World. She'd never seen anything quite like it before.

“ _Raava..._ _just_ _what_ _the hell_ _are we chasing_ _?”_ Korra asked the spirit within her. Though she'd never thought to directly ask her before, Korra doubted the Spirit of Light would have the answers she sought. She seemed to be about as confused by the decoy as Korra was back when they were fighting it at the arena, after all. Still, she might as well ask while it was still easy to do so. It didn't look like she'd be stumbling across any other ancient spirits anytime soon.

“ _I am not sure, Korra. The only time I have seen spirits react in this way, it was in response to Vaatu drawing near.”_ Raava replied. Korra frowned deeper. That certainly didn't help paint the situation in any better of a light. She knew from that last battle alone that this Chi Eater was like nothing she'd ever faced before, but, she still secretly hoped that _that_ was the worst of it. But if the spirits were still _this_ scared, even in their own world...

“ _Still... I cannot help but feel as though I_ _ **should**_ _know something more.”_ The spirit continued. To this, Korra quirked an eyebrow.

“ _You feel it too?”_ She asked. Raava's hummed response told her all she needed to know. It'd been troubling Korra, too, since the very beginning. That feeling as though she should know more about this thing, like she should've recognized the pattern.

“ _The more that we pursue him, the more I feel as though I have encountered him before, perhaps in one of our_ _shared_ _past lives. But, as our connection to them has been severed...”_

“ _..._ _There's no way to_ _ask them_ _what they_ _might_ _remember.”_ Korra finished with an audible sigh. Stopping for a moment at the base of a tree, the Avatar looked down. She wasn't sure how she felt about that thought, exactly.

Back when she'd first learned of the Chi Eater and how long he'd been active, she couldn't shake the feeling that she should've known about this thing sooner. The idea that the Avatar could fail so spectacularly and somehow never once encountered it never sat right with her, for reasons she couldn't quite explain. Reasons beyond just pride. They were like echoes of a memory, a sensation. She should've known.

But as it became clearer and clearer that the Chi Eater was intelligent – very intelligent – and meticulously avoiding detection by traveling the world, she pushed that feeling aside and reluctantly accepted the possibility that whoever it was, they were just that good. After all, if one of her past lives really had found out about this thing, they would've done something about it or died trying. And if death was the answer, then they would've passed that knowledge on to the next Avatar, and so on, until Aang either never would've encountered its wake in the first place, or he wouldn't have been as clueless to its existence as he was.

But... that didn't happen. If it had, then she wouldn't be in the situation that she was right now. And to Korra, that could only mean one of two things, and she wasn't sure which option she hated more.

Either she'd never encountered the Chi Eater before in _any_ of her past lives and had been played for a fool for over a millennium...

Or at some point or another, for whatever reason, one of her past lives actually _had_ encountered the Chi Eater once before, but then knowingly and willingly withheld that information from their reincarnations for centuries. And that... that was not a possibility she was currently willing to accept.

But with the way that Raava was talking, and the way that she had been feeling... if she really had encountered this guy before, if Raava really did recognize something, and the loss of her past lives was messing with her memories...

...Before she could become any more lost in thought or in her feelings of self-doubt, Korra came to, noting that all around her, a mist had begun developing. Was this her doing? Or maybe Raava's? The tree that she was previously standing under was gone... had she started moving again? How long had she been walking? She looked behind her, wanting to see if she could still make out the glow of the Spirit Portal, but although it was still within range, it was now distant on the horizon, obscured and growing fainter by the second as the mist that had settled around her grew thicker.

Feeling as though she should maybe turn around and try another route, as Korra turned to head back the way she came, the sound of rustling grass snapped her to attention, her body whipping back around with her arms held up in front of her in an Earthbending stance as a figure appeared shadowed behind the fog. Her muscles twitched to bend the world beneath her feet, but before she could carry the motion through, she stopped, catching herself and breathing a sigh of relief as the details of the figure came into view, illuminated by the lantern that he held in his hand. It was a lantern that she had come to know well.

“Iroh!” She called out with relief, running to hug her old friend, a smile on both of their faces.

“It is nice to see you again, Korra, though I did not think it would be so soon. I was just going out to gather some tealeaves for my next get together, when I noticed that a fog was enveloping the meadow.” He explained, returning the Avatar's hug. Though he was smiling when she came in, however, as she pulled away, the look on his face had shifted to one of concern, putting a dent in the Avatar's mood. “Am I right in assuming that you are feeling lost, Korra?”

The Water Tribe girl frowned. So it _was_ her doing after all. With a sigh, she confirmed the old general's suspicions. “Do you mind if I ask what is troubling you? Does it have anything to do with why have you come back to the Spirit World alone?” He asked, leaning to look behind her just to make sure that Asami wasn't nearby. The two of them were practically inseparable the last time she was here.

“Well... kind of, yeah.” She admitted. “I've been trying to figure something out lately, back in the physical world; Avatar stuff. There were some strange killings in Republic City recently, so basically as soon as I got back, I was asked to step in and see if I could figure out what was going on. And I did, kind of, and I thought I'd stopped the one responsible, but... now I'm not so sure.” A bit of an abridged retelling of events, but more-or-less accurate.

“So you don't feel as though the killer has been brought to justice?” Iroh asked.

“I know that he hasn't.” Korra confidently replied. “Things have been quiet for over a week now, so I thought so at first, but... everything's pointing in the other direction now. But something's been bugging me about all of this since the very beginning. I've had this awful, nagging sensation in the back of my mind, and the more I learn about this guy and everything that's been going on... the more I feel like it might actually be my fault? Either due to the negligence of one of my past lives, or... worse.” She didn't dare vocalize what that 'worse' was, though. Saying it almost made it more real. She didn't want it to be real.

“I came here to speak with some older spirits and see if I can't figure something out.”

“I see... and you think the _spirits_ might have the answers that you seek?”

“I don't know, but... I'm running out of places to go, and people to turn to. Nobody else can help me, and none of the spirits left in the city are old enough to know anything useful about this guy. I don't know how, exactly, but apparently, he's been at this for over a thousand years now.” The look on Iroh's face soured, his eyes narrowing. Was she...?

“Korra... just who is it you are trying to catch?” He asked, a tone of suspicion on his voice.

“I don't know his name, that's actually what I came here hoping to find out, along with some other details about who he is or why he's doing all of this, but... we've been calling him the Chi Eater.”

At the mention of that name, Iroh froze, a look of shocked horror streaking across his face as his grip momentarily loosened on his lantern, allowing it to fall helplessly to the ground below, extinguishing it on contact. This... was not the kind of response that Korra was hoping for. But given the way all the spirits had fled the city, it certainly seemed to be par for the course. Regaining his composure, the old general retrieved his lantern from the meadow, apologizing briefly before responding.

“Korra, you are chasing after something incredibly powerful right now... a being even the spirits fear.” He warned.

“I know. I've already fought him once before, kind of, and I won. Or... I thought I did, anyway. At first I thought he was just some sort of corrupted spirit. I mean, it had to be, right? A thousand year killing spree? But... even though I...” Korra looked down. She didn't want to finish that sentence. “...It was just a puppet, and I had no idea. The toughest fight of my life, and it was just a decoy.”

“Then you must know how powerful its master must be to create such a sad creature.” Iroh supposed. Korra nodded.

“I know, but, like I said, I... I can't shake this feeling that this is still my fault, somehow, and even if it isn't, it doesn't change the fact that he's still out there, killing people, and he'll keep killing people unless somebody does something. And I feel like I might be the only one who can.”

“You may be right.” Iroh agreed, albeit reluctantly. This didn't appear to be a battle he wanted her to be fighting, but he was not one to argue with the Avatar, particularly not when he knew she was right. “From what little I know, the Chi Eater is an Energybender beyond compare. But, you are no slouch in the art, yourself.” He smiled, motioning toward the light of the portal in the distance behind her. Well, he wasn't wrong.

“What _do_ you know of him, anyway? Did you hear any stories about him during the war?” They had found records from Fire Nation Soldiers about his activities, after all. But Iroh shook his head.

“Surprisingly, no. It was only after joining the spirits that I began hearing rumors. But even here, that is all they ever were... until now. He is not one the spirits like to talk about, and until now, they had no reason to, particularly to someone such as myself.” He sighed. “But, the reopening of the Spirit Portals has caused great change in both worlds – a lot of it for the better. But in this regard, it has made it possible for the Chi Eater to physically cross over into the Spirit World with all of his powers intact.” Whatever the full extent of them may have been. Korra seemed confused.

“But if he's an Energybender, couldn't he just meditate in the Spirit World and use his powers anyway, even before the portals were opened? I can still do it when I meditate, and I find it hard to believe that somebody else who can Energybend wouldn't be connected to his spiritual side.” She asked.

“Yes and no. From what my spirit friends have told me, the Chi Eater has always been able to influence this world, but his power was limited without his body. Supposedly, he has done something to it which has gifted him with incredible abilities. When he meditates into the Spirit World, he can be fought on equal terms, if only by the most ancient or powerful of spirits. But now, he can cross over in-person. That is why the spirits have fled the areas immediately around the Spirit Portals, such as this meadow.” Korra grit her teeth. She knew it.

“I just don't get it... how could something so awful have been right underneath the Avatar's nose for so long?” She asked, mentally kicking herself yet again. Every time she learned something new about the Chi Eater or heard about the impact he had on the spirits, she felt a little bit more responsible for it. Even if they were past lives, even if her connection to them was lost, it was still her fault, her responsibility, intentional or not.

“That, I'm afraid, I do not know.” Iroh admitted with a frown. Korra sighed again.

“Do you know of anyone who might? Any spirits old enough to know some details about him, or who may have encountered him in the past? You said the older ones could fight him on equal terms before, right?” She asked. Iroh hummed, thinking for a moment.

“I'm not entirely sure... many old and powerful spirits have retreated to the deepest parts of the Spirit World to defend their own, and not all of them are too keen to help out the Physical World, even at the Avatar's request. And even for the ones who are, they are either notoriously capricious, difficult to track down, or otherwise no longer located in the Spirit World, such as the Mother of Faces, or the great Moon and Ocean spirits. ...However...” Iroh trailed, rubbing his chin in further thought.

However? However what? Korra impatiently waited for the general to continue.

“...If you are really that desperate, there is one spirit that I know of who _m_ _ight_ have the answers you seek. But I must warn you, I do not believe it is a good idea. He is not known for being friendly toward the Avatar.” To this, Korra quirked an eyebrow.

“Who...?” Was it Wan Shi Tong again?

“Somebody I believe you may already know, even without your connection to Avatars Aang or Kuruk – Koh, the Face Stealer.” This time, it was Korra's turn to have a horrified expression due to the dropping of a name.

“KOH!?” She yelped, not entirely if she'd just heard him correctly. Unfortunately, Iroh nodded.

The general was right, though. Even she knew about Koh. “Show him no emotion, or your face will join his collection”, or so the saying went. It was a story from Avatar Aang's life that'd been well documented by the previous Avatar, a tale he'd passed on in detail down to Tenzin, in hopes of preparing him for the sorts of spirits and dangers he may encounter in visiting the Spirit World. Tenzin in turn passed that knowledge on to Korra. So, obviously, in hearing _that_ name, she couldn't help but feel a little bit on edge.

“Is he _really_ my only option?” She asked. Iroh shook his head.

“I don't know. There may be others, but he is the only one I can tell you with any confidence. Though, whether or not he will be willing to help you is another matter. As I said, I do not believe it is a good idea.” With yet another sigh of frustration, the Avatar ran her fingers through her hair. This Chi Eater mess just kept getting better and better, she thought.

“What makes you so sure about Koh?” She asked, wanting to be sure herself before pursuing such a dangerous spirit. The Dragon of the West understood.

“I've heard been said that Koh and the Chi Eater once fought one another, and that Koh had survived the encounter by the skin of his teeth, forcing the Chi Eater to retreat after a battle that lasted a day.” Iroh repeated. A _**day**_!? “Rumor has it that the Chi Eater coveted Koh's power, and he had hoped to sway the spirit to his side by force. Fortunately, he failed to do so, forcing him to enslave a nature spirit to do his bidding for him instead.” Korra frowned. So it was a nature spirit, then...

“Yeah, I... I'm familiar with that one, too...” She defeatedly admitted, immediately looking down. “I always try to avoid killing my enemies... even with Zaheer, I never pushed to have him executed, though spirits know my father did... but... that night at the arena... even Raava was telling me it was the right thing to do. I really felt like I had no choice, you know?”

“I don't think you did, Korra. The spirits are aware of what you did, but they do not hold it against you. In killing that spirit, you freed its soul from the Chi Eater's grasp, allowing the cycle of reincarnation to continue at last, so that its remaining energy may finally be reborn into a new spirit.” He smiled. The Avatar immediately looked back up at the mention of reincarnation and rebirth, a glimmer of hope behind her eyes.

“Reborn...?” She asked. Iroh nodded, his continuing smile bolstering the Avatar's confidence.

“Spirits are cyclical creatures. They are born, they live, they die, and then they are born again, not at all unlike the cycle of the Avatar.” He explained, staring the young woman in the eyes as he spoke. “From the almighty Raava down to the lowliest of mushroom spirits, the cycle of rebirth and reincarnation is as universal as it is eternal. Even ordinary humans are reborn, in a way, though none so directly as you.” That... that was something Korra never knew before.

“So you mean I didn't just... _erase_ it...?” Iroh shook his head.

“Although human souls can be consumed and destroyed by certain means, such as your Uncle's Spiritbending technique, spirit souls are far more tenacious and difficult to affect. Though the Chi Eater's control extends even into a spirit's soul, in killing it, you managed to sever that control, permanently. Now, it may reincarnate into the next spirit freely, and start all over again.” This time, the sigh that escaped the Avatar's lips was one of relief.

That was a weight off her shoulders, honestly. Now it was beginning to make sense why Raava had been pushing her, and why the spirit had even thanked her after the fact... the Chi Eater had enslaved it for a thousand years, trapping it in a place between life and death where it had just enough of a consciousness to still be aware of the pain it was feeling and inflicting, but not enough power to fight back. It didn't even have the option to die and be reborn, to escape... not until Korra.

The thought of it all was too much for her, she could feel the tears beginning to escape her eyes, but she was powerless to stop them. She'd been beating herself up over that decision all week, constantly wondering where she went wrong, what she could've done different... but to know it actually was the right thing to do... to know a taste of what it must've been feeling, all those years...

“Thank you for telling me all of this.” Korra sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes. Iroh nodded, smiling warmly. “I'm still not happy that I had to go so far, but knowing that it really was the right thing to do... but still, if I wasn't sure of it before, I'm definitely sure of it now. The Chi Eater _needs_ to go down.” She concluded.

The fire behind her eyes told him nothing he could say could sway her from her chosen path, now. But as the fog that'd gather around them gradually began to lift, the old Firebender was okay with this, his confidence in her and her ability now fully restored.

“Do not doubt your instincts, Korra, or Raava's guiding light. As the Avatar, you may come to find that the two are aligned more often than they are not.” He reassured. Korra could only smile. It was at this point she began to notice that the fog had almost completely disappeared, looking around as Iroh's lantern dimmed in response to the brightening meadow, color returning to its flowering fields. Though it was still devoid of spirit activity, the area around them now looked – and felt – a little bit more alive.

“So... Koh, then...” She thought aloud, her smile fading, if only a little bit. Her eyes narrowed. “Do you think he might know about my other questions, as well? About my connection to the Chi Eater?” She asked.

“I am not sure, but if any spirit would, it would be him. He has studied the Avatar intensely over the years, in case you ever returned to finish what Avatar Kuruk had started.” Korra grimaced slightly. Right... Avatar Kuruk... given that it was part of Koh's story and by extension Aang's, she knew about that, too. Maybe this time would be different, though. Maybe she could start to try and right that wrong, too. Seemed to be the story of her life up until now – righting others' wrongs, even if they were technically her own from umphundred years ago.

“Then I guess I'd better get going.” The smile on her face had now been replaced with a look of determination. She knew whereabouts to start looking. “Thank you, Iroh.” The general closed his eyes, smiling at her.

“The pleasure is all mine, Avatar Korra. Good luck.” With that, Iroh disappeared from view, walking deeper into the meadow, toward the portal, before seemingly ceasing to be, likely reappearing somewhere else within the Spirit World. After all, you didn't have to exactly _walk_ everywhere you wanted to go around here – thinking about your destination could be just as effective.

Granted, it was more effective if you were a disembodied spirit who had _meditated_ into the spirit world, since then you could just teleport around on demand like Zaheer had, but even like this, appearing here in-person, Korra had options. From the dragon bird spirit to the natural malleability of the world around her, as she thought about her destination, she only had to stand there as the Spirit World sped by around her, the scenery shifting multiple times before she found herself at a dim, rocky pass, faceless animals wandering about and a cavern beneath a tree just barely visible across the way.

She was here.

Inhaling deeply, Korra resolved herself for whatever it was she was about to experience. From everything she knew about Avatar Aang's encounter, Koh was shifty and insect-like in appearance, always lurking in the shadows and jumping out unexpectedly to try and get a reaction from those who would enter his lair. He would probably frequently change faces to try and throw her off her game, and if she so much as cracked a smile in his presence, her face would be his... provided he saw that smile happen, anyway.

Hopefully it wouldn't have to come to that, though. Asami would kill her if she came home without a face.

Having prepared herself to the best of her ability, the Avatar shook the last of the emotion she could from her face and then hopped across the shaky stone pillars to the cavern across the divide, using her Airbending as an assist. As she neared the cavern's entrance, she paused, the wind whistling across its expanse. If she was going to turn back, now would be the time. But, she didn't, pressing forward down the old granite steps to find herself entering into the den of the mighty Face Stealer.

“Hello?” She asked. “I'm looking for a spirit named Koh.” No response. Maintaining her composure, she turned her head, looking around the cavern to the best of her ability. The deeper she went, the darker it became – before long, she found herself having to Firebend herself a small light source in her hand. Had he left, too? This place was on the fringes of the Spirit World, to be sure, but... had the Chi Eater already beaten her to the punch to finish what he'd started?

The sound of loose pebbles and dirt emanated from behind her as they fell from the ceiling as though they were dislodged by something, and after that, if she strained her ears, she could swear she almost heard shuffling, and... whispers? Swallowing hard, she asked again.

“Koh? Are you there? It's me... the Avatar. I've come to talk.” She said. The sounds of shuffling continued, but she couldn't seem to isolate where they were coming from, exactly – the way this cave was structured, it sounded like it was coming from all around her.

He was preparing to dart in and scare her, then. Korra was privy to his usual tricks. But Koh appeared to be similarly aware. The Avatar's reincarnation cycle made it hard to surprise them the same way twice, and Korra was almost twice as old as Aang was when he first came to the Face Stealer for information. So instead of darting out of the shadows without warning, he blanketed himself in them, maintaining a watchful eye as he utilized his home's unique acoustics to his advantage.

“Well, well well... the Avatar... come to me for information yet again, have you?” Came the voice. Calmly scanning the chamber, holding her hand out in front of her to light it up as best she could, she failed to isolate its source, visually or otherwise. What was he planning? “And with a new face, no less... it's been a long time since I've added a woman's face to my collection. How refreshing.” He taunted. Korra remained visibly unfazed.

“Koh?” She asked to confirm. She couldn't imagine who else would be here to answer her, but...

“Indeed, it is I...” Damn, she still couldn't get a read on him. And since she was in the Spirit World, trying to lock onto his spiritual presence and locate him that way was next to impossible.

“Where are you?”

“Behind you.” Feeling a shiver run up her spine as the sudden sensation of warm breath against her ear accompanied his whisper, it took every ounce of strength she had to not whip around violently on reflex, turning around in as calm and measured a manner as she could to get a good look at the so-called Face Stealer to find...

...Nothing. He was gone.

Exhaling sharply, she closed her eyes for a moment, regaining her composure, before opening them and turning around again. And when she did, _that_ was when he finally chose to reveal himself, the young Avatar finding herself in for the shock of her life as the face of a hungry dragon roared as loud as it could mere inches from her own, its piercing yellow eyes catching her blue.

But she realized immediately that this was Koh, noting the centipede-like body that the face was attached to, just barely maintaining composure as his roar came to an end, and with it, his draconic visage, the eyelid-like structures along his face closing, and then opening, to reveal the face with which he seemed to be the most attached – a Noh mask with deep red lips and grey markings around its eyes. As his lips curled into a smile, he formally greeted the young Avatar, welcoming her to his home.

“Welcome, Avatar Korra... I see you are as well-prepared as your predecessor.” He halfheartedly chided. If she could, she'd have grinned at that remark. But it seemed he knew her name, in particular... not surprising, given all the waves she'd made in reopening the portals, she supposed.

“Then again, he was only 12 when he first came to me, whereas you have lived a life more than twice as full... and, unlike him, you have already experienced _true_ fear... isn't that right?” He asked, the upper portion of his insect-like body turning so that he could tilt his 'head'. Korra remained expressionless, refusing to answer. She knew what he was alluding to, but she wasn't going to bite. That battle was over.

“Hello.” She bowed. “I'm sorry to disturb you, but I'm not here to cause any trouble... I'd just like to talk.” She repeated. Koh's eyes narrowed. No response, huh? If he could have, he'd have shifted to Zaheer's face instead of the dragon's in an attempt to ensnare her right away, but alas, that man hadn't dared step foot in this part of the Spirit World. It looked as though he'd have to respond, then.

“Talk, or interrogate? You should learn to be more honest with the spirits, Avatar. Even if you refuse to show me any expression, I _know_ when you're lying.” He warned.

“You're right, I apologize.” She agreed, bowing once more. “I would like to ask you some questions, yes; about a mutual enemy of ours. He calls himself the Chi Eater.”

“Oh, so you two are enemies now, are you? You really _are_ the start of a new era.” Koh teased. They were enemies _now_? It took everything Korra had to hold her emotions in check – now wasn't the time to be heading down that road again. That could come after; finding out who the Chi Eater actually _was_ came first. “Very well then... _Korra_. What would you like to know?” Korra nodded.

“As I'm sure you know, I have lost my connection to my past lives. As far as I know, it's just me and Raava now. So if I ever knew of the Chi Eater before, I have no way of knowing that now.” She briefly explained. Though he already knew all of this, Koh appeared to be listening. “I've been trying to stop him ever since I returned to the physical world, but I've run out of leads. I was wondering if maybe you could tell me who he is, and what he wants, so I can stop him and put an end to his reign of terror, permanently.”

The look of satisfaction on Koh's face made Korra feel uneasy, but still, she kept it together, even as he began to encircle her, coiling around her like a snake about to squeeze the life out of its prey. This whole situation had the young woman on edge. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck beginning to stand up, but she controlled her breathing and remained calm, utilizing meditative techniques that'd been passed down to her by Tenzin and some tricks of her own from dealing with her trauma to keep her cool.

“So, the Avatar wants to know about the Chi Eater, does she...” Koh began, shuffling faces now to that of Ummi, Avatar Kuruk's old love, wondering if he could pull at some residual attachment to her past lives, but... there was nothing, not even a glimmer of recognition in her eyes. The Avatar's slate really had been wiped clean, then. It was as if she were seeing this face for the very first time – which technically, she was.

This meant she wouldn't have a clue about anything of her past lives she hadn't already been told beforehand, which would obviously include any information on the Chi Eater, meaning the rumors checked out after all. Realizing this, Koh smirked, admitting defeat but maintaining his confidence, knowing exactly how he could use this fact to his advantage later on. But that was then. Now, he simply continued with her request.

“Very well then. Though he started off as a human, the Chi Eater is no longer what you would call 'pure-blooded'... but, neither is he a spirit, either. He tows the line between the two, between life and death – or perhaps even transcends them – all the while continuing to wear his humanity like a suit. He is a unique entity without any parallel or precedent... except, of course, for you.” ...The Avatar?

“So... he's a half-spirit too?”

“Not quite... but he _was_ a man who was obsessed with immortality, willing to do whatever it took to live forever. And so he did.” The spirit cryptically continued as he similarly continued to encircle the Avatar. “By the time of your predecessor, Avatar Aang, Energybending had all but died out, with only a single Lion Turtle its sole practitioner. But in the time of the Chi Eater, there existed 13 others, monks who lived high above the clouds atop mountains even the Air Nomads wouldn't climb. He believed that Energybending would hold the key to his immortality, so he made off with their secrets and began the process of becoming what he is today.”

“And what is that?”

“Immortal.” Koh smiled. He didn't have to spoil _everything_ for her, after all. Assuming even he knew, anyway... given that he'd never challenged Koh physically and directly, there was a good chance even he might not know for sure. Korra sighed, maintaining as neutral an expression as possible as she did so.

“So all he wants to do is be immortal, then?” She asked, hoping she could at least confirm his motivations. To this, Koh nodded (in whatever way a creature like him even could, anyway), his face shifting back to that of the mask from before.

“Despite all he has purportedly done, to himself _and_ to others, at his core, he still but a man... and a simple one, at that. In all this time, his goals have never once shifted. Though he holds all the power in the world, he chooses to use it to solely perpetuate his own existence. In all my countless epochs of being, I have never met a man more full of fear than him.”

“Fear...?” Korra asked, audibly confused, but visually, continuing to maintain that same neutral expression. She was certainly determined, this new Avatar...

“ _Fear_ is what drives him above all else, what fuels his desire to live forever. His is a fear of death that _far_ exceeds the manic. But as for who he _is_...” Koh trailed. To say or not to say, that was question. How much fun could he have with this new Avatar _really_? Admittedly, the Face Stealer was dying to find out, particularly since she had done him the service of approaching him in-person.

“...I _could_ tell you, of course, but first... I don't believe that's all you really want to know about him, is it, Avatar?” He asked. Korra swallowed.

“I don't know what you mean.”

“You're lying.” The spirit immediately retaliated, flashing her a toothy grin. “I could feel it when I first hinted at there being a connection between you two... you've been wondering about that for quite a while now, haven't you? You don't even recognize the face of one of your past lives' lovers, but you recognized the Chi Eater's touch. His scent. The sickening feel of his chi on the air.” Koh described. Korra refused to answer. “Would you like to know _why_?”

She thought for a moment. How should she answer?

If she lied, Koh would see right through her and elaborate anyway. If she said nothing, he would likely do the same. But if she was honest, it would be almost guaranteed.

There was no way she could react without giving him what he wanted. What they both wanted, technically. But for Korra... more and more she worried his explanation would be an answer she wouldn't like. She could feel it. Not only in his voice, but from within her very soul, and Raava could too.

So then, how should she react?

“...Yes.”

With honesty.

Koh hummed with satisfaction, his grin widening.

“In that case, allow me to tell you a story... but I must warn you, it is a long one.” The spirit replied, encircling the young Avatar. She remained unfazed, only nodding in response. Enough was enough. If she was going to put an end to this, she had to know everything, whether she liked what that 'everything' was or not.

“Very well then. Long, long ago, 1,300 years ago to be exact, shortly after the Chi Eater had first begun, you chose to confront him. You realized early on that he was a man who had powers which no longer belonged in this world and the sort of threat that somebody such as himself could pose should he choose to utilize that power to its fullest extent. Already, he was sacrificing the lives of others in order to extend his lifespan, and by the time you had finally tracked him down, he was already getting into his second cycle. Delivering a warning he staunchly ignored, you challenged him, failing to realize the full extent of what he was capable of, and he killed you.”

Koh announced the defeat of the Avatar rather matter-of-factly, as if it were a foregone conclusion, hinting at what was at least his opinion of the Chi Eater's power while also confirming that the Avatar had, in fact, faced the man (or whatever he was) before. Immediately, this didn't sit well with Korra. If she'd fought this guy before and lost, how was she even alive?

“He could've chosen to end the Avatar cycle right then and there and saved himself the trouble, but instead, he forced you out of the Avatar State with his Energybending and killed you then, believing that the world would continue to need the your guidance regardless of what he did or didn't do.”

Oh. That was how she was even alive. He could force her out of the Avatar State.

Though she was shaken by the idea of it, Korra remained calm, at least on the surface, continuing to listen to Koh's story. Whether she liked it or not, this was information she needed to have. Not that the Avatar State would give her much more of an advantage these days, anyway, outside of a Raava-sized supercharge.

But the more important – and frighetning – question raised by all of this, then, was why didn't Aang know? Why wasn't this information passed on? Koh continued his story.

“As selfish as the Chi Eater is, he has no desire to throw this world into chaos. The whole point of what he does is that he wants to live forever, but a world without the Avatar, to him, is a world that is destined to die, and if the world dies, his immortality is for naught. Because of this, this scenario repeated itself two or three times more, with Avatar after Avatar trying – and failing – to stop him while he carefully acted as to not disrupt your cycle.” The longer Koh went on, the more uneasy Korra began to feel. It wasn't like Koh to just freely give out information like this, not unless it impacted him too or he had something to gain. She hoped the Chi Eater's threat was his only motivation.

“And so the two cycles went on – the Avatar was reborn while the Chi Eater lived his lifetimes straight-through, two immortals encircling each other like the Moon encircles the Ocean, though yours was a dance that was far more uneven. While the Avatar gained nothing, the Chi Eater still killed, and by now he had begun targeting spirits as well. It continued like this for some time, and it seemed as though all was lost until one Avatar in particular, maybe 8 or 900 years ago... an Avatar by the name of Yang.” Pausing as if to gauge her reaction, Korra's face remained neutral. She didn't seem to recognize the name, either. Koh carried on.

“Yang was not too dissimilar from yourself, come to think of it. He, too, excelled at the physical side of bending, but the spiritual had always been lost on him, if only at first. But when he'd finally connected, the first thing he learned from the Avatar before him was of the existence of the Chi Eater, an explanation of his threat, and the stor of how the Avatar had failed to defeat him before. Living in a time of peace where the world seemed to solve its own problems, Yang took it upon himself to do what his predecessors could not and put an end to the Chi Eater once and for all, devoting himself to his training and becoming confident in his power.”

“By the time he confronted the Chi Eater, he was one of the most powerful Avatars to have ever lived. But though he knew of the Chi Eater's strength, he had underestimated his cunning. Having expected Yang's interference, the Chi Eater had a plan, and he claimed to have taken hostage the Avatar's fiancee, threatening her death should he still choose to confront him. Confident, Yang ignored his warning, throwing the first attack, but the Chi Eater had done his research, and he was aware of Yang's power, as well as his hotheadedness, expecting the assault and avoiding it with ease.” Koh paused. Still no reaction, though Korra seemed consumed by the tale.

“But when the Chi Eater had moved, he had proven his threat true, Yang's fiancee revealed. Though he tried to intercept, it was already too late. In an instant, she was slain, killed by her lover's own hand.” Korra's heart sank, but visibly, she only gulped. She'd never considered that he might... “Predictably, Yang was distraught. But the Chi Eater only laughed at his foolishness, stating that he had warned him, reveling in her death before taking her remaining chi for his own. In a fit of rage, Yang lashed out, shifting immediately into the Avatar State and pushing the Chi Eater further than any Avatar before him.”

“As great as Yang was, however, the Chi Eater was better. Maintaining the edge, he beat Yang within an inch of his life, but withheld the final blow. He had grown tired of encountering the Avatar, and pulling him out of the Avatar State, he gave the grieving Yang an ultimatum:

“Leave and never come back, in this or in any life, and I will let you live. But interfere with me again, and I will kill _everyone_ that you love. Not only in this life, but in _every_ life, again and again and again, until you _finally_ agree to leave me alone.”

With his ego bruised, his body broken, and his lover dead, Yang, having witnessed his power firsthand, agreed to the Chi Eater's terms, forsaking his duty as the Avatar and escaping with his life, the remainder of which he lived in self-imposed exile.”

“No...” Korra whispered. Her voice, hushed though it may have been, did not escape the Face Stealer's attention. She knew what was coming.

“That's right, Avatar... even in death, you, as Yang, upheld your end of the bargain, refusing to pass on the knowledge of his existence to the next Avatar while simultaneously blocking any previous incarnations from doing the same. From then on, the Avatar would never again interfere in the affairs of the Chi Eater, making _you,_ as the Avatar, just as responsible for all that he's done as the Chi Eater himself is.” Koh concluded. Korra shook her head. Her facade was cracking.

“No, you're lying,” Korra accused. Koh did not give her a response. “The Avatar would never do that, none of them! We're chosen by Raava for a reason... we...” She struggled to explain.

“There are a lot of things that your nature can make me overlook, Avatar Korra. I can forgive you for the transgressions of a past life because what you did in them were not decisions shaped by the person you are now. Personal grudges I may have had with you in the past mean nothing to you now, and whether they were ever settled or not, I can easily let them go, or perhaps even comprehend them. But there are some sins, I am afraid, that not even _that_ will let me forgive. Some decisions that you make that will shape how you're seen for cycles to come.” Koh elaborated as he walked in circles around the Avatar, her breathing getting heavy, beads of sweat on her face.

“Have you ever wondered why some spirits do not trust you, the Avatar? Why they look down on you as though you were any other human, even despite Raava's light? It's because your actions that day told us all that you were. That despite Raava's faith, a human is still a human, and no matter how hard they try, they will never be truly selfless, not all the time, not when it counts most. Some of us blame you for the brothers and sisters we've lost to the Chi Eater's scourge. Some of us understand that you've done great good despite all that, before and since Yang. But then others, like me...” The great spirit paused, pulling his face close to the Avatar's own, smiling.

“...Are just opportunists, with agendas of our own, waiting for our moment to strike.” Korra looked up, tears in her eyes. Koh had finally found what he wanted from her. “You slipped.” He stated simply, the young Avatar's eyes widening as she realized what she'd done.

In failing to control her emotions, her face had betrayed her inner turmoil, and the terms on which Koh acted had finally been met. From Kuruk to Aang, the Avatar had denied him their face at least twice before, but finally, he could take it for his own, and add his first Avatar to his sprawling connection.

From Korra's perspective, the next couple of seconds passed as if they were in slow motion, the dark spirit's face giving way as his pincers closed in around her head, a gaping maw opening up where a human-like face had been an instant prior. Her eyes widened further as she was greeted by rows of teeth and infinite black, from which light was now quickly arising, and purely on reflex, her body began to move, her right arm swinging up as she stumbled backward, a powerful burst of air following the trail of her fist and colliding with Koh's 'chin' to send him hurdling toward the roof.

That's right, she could bend here... she could fight! Her horror giving way to a smirk, the Face Stealer hissed.

“You DARE bend at ME!?” He snarled.

“I don't want to fight you, but I'm not letting you take my face, either!” Korra proclaimed. No point in holding herself back now – she was fighting for her life whether she liked it or not.

“You know the rules, Korra, and you lost, fair and square. I promise you, it's nothing personal.” The Face Stealer claimed, pulling himself from the roof and leveling his maw back toward the Avatar. She instinctively looked away, feeling as though she would lose her identity just for staring at it for too long.

“Yeah, somehow I doubt that... you never really liked me, did you?” She asked. “You're not like most other spirits, you actually want to hurt people. I must've had to deal with you _long_ before Kuruk.”

As the malevolent spirit hissed, Korra assumed she was right, the Avatar's ears twitching as she heard him begin to move. The acoustics of the cavern were again in his favor, making tracking him difficult, if not outright impossible. While she would avoid direct eye contact with his (lack of a) face, she would still use her eyes and blasts of fire aimed at the walls to try and track the movements of his body.

“You say that about me now, but the Avatar had no problem with giving the Chi Eater a free pass. Everything that's coming for you, you brought on yourself.” Koh dismissed, the Avatar's smirk fading. _'One thing at a time, Korra,'_ she thought. But she'd already lost track of him. “Maybe if I get lucky, your next incarnation will extend me the same courtesy!”

Behind her!

Jumping to her right as the Face Stealer jutted forward to grab her from behind, she swung a wave at fire at the spirit with her arm from behind her, breaking for the exit as the spirit screamed in pain. Had he ever had to fight the Avatar when they could still bend all the elements?

“You sure this is nothing personal? Because this is sure sounding personal.” Korra taunted, glancing behind her a moment as she ran back for the stairs. To her surprise, however, Koh was already gone!

“Don't you dare make light of _me_ , Avatar,” The Face Stealer warned, dropping down from the ceiling in front of her, the Water Tribe girl skidding to a halt. Shit! “I've been around since long before Wan, and I'll _still_ be around long after your last life has been extinguished.”

An otherworldly noise like countless whispers carried on a maelstrom began to surround Korra as the Face Stealer came in for the kill once again, his 'face' leveled back in front of hers as she could feel a pull on her soul by whatever power Koh was using. She knew that he put his victims in a state between life and death where they'd be lost for the rest of their lives... was this how that felt?

Closing her eyes, she slammed her forehead against the Face Stealer's closest analogous feature with as much force as she could must, pushing him back just an inch or two before following up with a kick, a pillar of earth erupting from below his center to toss him into the air.

Again, he was forced to abandon his attempted theft, spinning around in mid-air so that he could land on the ceiling feet-first, scurrying back around to attack from another angle. He was persistent, and Korra was feeling drained just from that, but reaching up to feel for her face, she breathed a sigh of relief to feel it was still there – for now. She had to get out of here, and fast.

...But...

She still didn't have the information she'd come for. Though the light of the exit was nearly in sight, she knew Koh would likely be expecting her to make a break for it again, and more than that, if she returned empty-handed on the identity of the Chi Eater, she'd have risked her life in a battle with the Face Stealer for basically nothing (aside from a case of crippling self-doubt).

With a sigh, she grit her teeth, clenched her fists, and stood her ground, turning back around in the direction Koh had gone to release mighty blasts from her fists. The cavern was illuminated with a bright orange light, and for the briefest of moments, the Face Stealer's position was revealed, the spirit seeming surprised. She was staying!?

“Don't think we're done yet, Koh – you're telling me who the Chi Eater really is!” Her second proclamation of the day, and he was as dismissive of this one as he was of the first.

“Then you're a greater fool than Yang ever was!” He hissed, charging in for the kill and moving through her fire blasts as though they were nothing. So he was toying with her with every blow, was he? Figures – she'd just have to hit him with something he couldn't resist then, something she knew he was vulnerable to.

Energybending.

This time, though she made Earthbending movements to stop him, pieces of the cave colliding with his hard shell as though they were dirt clods, it was never her intention to actually do him harm, at least not like that, and when he came in to take her face, she reached out and grabbed for his head, her eyes going white.

“You...!” He growled, his prior face returning, un-dissolving from his maw as his power was counteracted. Spirits were made primarily of energy, just like their world, and she knew from Iroh's story that it could be used to fight the Face Stealer. But she'd forgotten the fact that their battle lasted a day, and almost immediately she met resistance, the old spirit's soul resisting her touch. “Insolent child, you thought you could Energybend ME!?” He cried out.

“No, **but** _**we**_ **can!** ” Korra replied, her voice overlapping with Raava's as Koh's expression changed.

“RAAVA!” He called, the overwhelming presence of the Light Spirit's power forcing him back, his form physically repelled backward by her might. He knew when to pick his battles and immediately attempted to scurry away, but before he could get very far, the very air – no, the _world_ – around him was being bent to Korra's will, a barrier of air preventing his physical passage while the Spirit World itself was being bent around his location, any attempt to escape thwarted by the curvature of his plane. This was...

“ **Tell me who he is!** ” The Avatar demanded, her orders both her own and the spirit's within her, the Face Stealer shuddering.

“I refuse! You knew the terms...!” He defended. But the Avatar was not moved.

“ _ **His name!**_ ” She demanded louder, her grip tightening. Koh growled.

“I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to!” He finally caved. Though she was visibly displeased, the Avatar appeared to be listening. “He changes his name every time he starts a new cycle, along with his face; his work even parallels my mother's!” High praise, given who she was... “But I can tell you that you've met him before, in this life, you reek of his stench. And besides, I really don't think that _I'm_ the one you should be asking... it seems to me that there's a young Airbender who would know better than I on how to locate his aura.” Korra's eyes briefly widened, but she maintained the Avatar state. Jinora...! Why didn't she think to ask her before...? She was a natural with this spiritual stuff...

“Now let me go!” Koh demanded.

Briefly narrowing her eyes again, the Avatar relented, the Avatar State released, and with it, her hold on Koh and the world immediately around him, the spirit falling from his suspended state with a loud thud. Glaring in Korra's direction, he briefly considered attacking her again, but relented. With as close as she was to Raava, being the only Avatar remaining in this new era she'd created, it was a risk he couldn't take.

“You really are a thorn in my side, no matter the incarnation... only the Chi Eater has ever resisted me so thoroughly.” The Face Stealer remarked. “Perhaps you two are more similar than I thought. After all, you both fear your death, don't you?” He asked.

While Korra just stood there, unsure of how to respond, the spirit disappeared, turning and running deeper into his cave. He was letting her go... for now. The next time an Avatar showed their face around him, they might not be so lucky, rules or no rules. Letting out a sigh of relief, Korra rubbed the upper part of her face with her hands, trying to process everything she'd just learned. The Chi Eater... was he really her fault? Did the Avatar really let him go, intentionally, for all these years? And Jinora... spirits, Jinora. Tenzin was not going to like this.

This time, her sigh was not so relief-laden, but rather frustrated, instead. This was not going to be easy.

“Raava... was he telling the truth?” Korra asked the spirit within her as she turned back for the exit. Though her response was a bit hesitant, the Spirit of Light corroborated the story.

“ _I believe so, yes. I am sorry, Korra.”_ Raava replied. Dejected, Korra sighed yet again. She felt like if she didn't she was going to explode.

“I always thought...” She began. What did she always think? That the Avatar was perfect? She knew _that_ wasn't it; she'd found that out from experience. But... she never would've thought the Avatar could do something so... cowardly. “...I don't know. But it seems... wrong. Selfish. To let all those people and spirits die, _just_ to protect yourself.” She lamented, having now reached the stairs.

“ _Every truth has its consequence.”_ Raava began. _“But if it is any consolation, the good the Avatar has done since – the good that_ _ **you**_ _have done – should also not be overlooked. In the end, you are still only human. You will still make mistakes and poor judgment calls even if I intervened. But I would honestly have it no other way. I do not think you or I alone could remain impartial to the concerns of humans and spirits if we did not understand and live as both. This is something I fear my kind has never fully understood about what the Avatar is meant to be.”_

“And what's that?”

“ _Flawed.”_ The spirit replied simply. After all, if Korra didn't feel and experience the negatives of humanity herself, how could she ever come to understand them? To combat them? To treat those overwhelmed by them with compassion? While their primary goal would always be to bring balance, and harmony, they were not, nor were they ever intended to be, perfect. To be perfect would be to miss the point; not even Wan got everything right, after all. As Korra discovered, closing the Spirit Portals might not have been the best thing, in the end, after all.

But that's why Raava was there. To guide her and to provide further means of guidance in the form of past lives – _their_ past lives – and to see balance maintained in the end... even if it took a little while, sometimes.

To that simple response, Korra smiled. You couldn't get much more flawed than her, right? Climbing out from Koh's cavern and emerging back on the cliff side, beneath his tree, Korra's eyes re-adjusted to the light as she set her mind on her next destination – the Republic City Spirit Portal.

She had a  young  Airbending master to go see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This feels like a weird place to stop for me because I feel like I could've let this chapter go on a little more, but, I figure I've been working on it long enough, and it's one of the longest, most info-heavy chapters in the story so far as it is - adding anything else at the end there would just be excessive!
> 
> This should give me more room to let it breathe in Chapter Ten, anyway, which can only be good given what I have planned next...
> 
> I'll try and update sooner this time, but we'll see how the holidays treat me. Until next time!


	10. Immortal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunt for the Chi Eater intensifies while dark forces are on the move in Republic City.

Book Five

**Chi**

 

Chapter Ten

**Immortal**

 

Landing on the shore of Air Temple Island with a glider she'd borrowed from Ryu, Korra felt heavy, her body not yet having re-acclimated to being back in the physical world.

Even shorter trips like these were enough to throw her off. After spending so much time somewhere so alien so relatively not long ago, it was easy for her to settle back into old habits in how she carried her body. Noting her landing with a grunt and some pain, she had too many other thoughts racing through her head right now to pay it much mind, quickly reminding herself that the world was more solid here and she’d have to be more careful while running around.

She’d tried asking Ryu if he knew where Jinora was when she first made it back, but he claimed he hadn’t seen her in days, as he’d been spending most of his time in the new spirit wilds. Cursing her luck but wishing him well, the next logical step would be to check-in with Tenzin and see if maybe he could point her in her general direction. Of course, it was always possible that she was here on the island training already, but given how integral the Air Nation was to the reconstruction efforts, she couldn’t be sure how likely that was as opposed to her coordinating some sort of relief effort in one f the boroughs.

But this was all the more reason to go see Tenzin first, she supposed. If anybody would know where an Airbender was, it would probably be him, especially if the Airbender in question was his daughter. So running up the steps and through the halls to his study, as she threw the doors open with an Airbending assist, the Avatar finally caught herself a bit of a lucky break, immediately catching eyes with a startled (and slightly hungover) Airbending master. Wasting no time and oblivious to his condition, Korra got straight to the point.

“Tenzin, I need to see Jinora, do you know where she is?” She asked. The Airbender's head throbbed from the shock, but he calmed himself down with some meditative breathing. Seemed she'd be foregoing the hellos today, he thought.

“Korra, please, you nearly gave me a heart attack,” He remarked with a huff. The Avatar grinned sheepishly from the doorway, her disheveled appearance quickly catching his eye – she looked tired and out of breath, and more than a little worse for wear what with her ruffled-up hair and her torn and dirt-stained clothes. She’d been in some sort of fight, then. That was never a good sign. But more troubling than that was the tone of her voice. The last time she rushed into the temple with a sense of urgency like that, it was about the Chi Eater.

“What's wrong? Did you just get out of a fight? And what's this about needing to see Jinora?” He asked, trying to make some sense of the situation as he motioned for Korra to come in. Right, she was kind of still standing there in the middle of the doorway.

Slightly embarrassed, the young woman took a moment before accepting the invitation, her bashfulness melting away as she considered his question. Right. He probably _would_ want an explanation, wouldn't he? She'd kind of intentionally kept him out of the loop today, and given what it was she wanted his daughter _for_ , she figured he had a right to know what was going on now.

“...Right, shit, so uh, okay, this is kind of difficult to explain, but,” She began, the nervous rubbing of the back of her neck telling the man behind the desk he was in for a doozy. He seemed to have been reviewing some paperwork before she came in; probably something to do with the reconstruction and relief efforts. But, the urgency of the Avatar had not been lost on him, and he recognized her stumbling as the preamble (preramble?) to one of her classic rushed summaries, though this one was preceded by a wince and a hint of guilt on the Waterbender’s part. Had something happened he hadn’t known about?

“Okay, so, I had this dream last night about the party, right? But then things got weird and I saw Zaheer except it wasn't really Zaheer it was the Chi Eater spirit? And it was trying to tell me that the real Chi Eater had seen me and that it wasn't really dead and things were gonna get worse and I'd had a feeling for a while now that this wasn't over yet but I couldn't figure out why but the dream seemed real enough that I decided to hold a meeting with Lin and Raiko to tell them to stay on guard and that I'd be going into the Spirit World to figure out what's what, so I left and I did that and I met with Iroh and he told me if I want to know about the Chi Eater that I should talk to Koh so I did but that didn't go well and we ended up fighting but I got him to tell me that the Chi Eater had killed some Avatars before me until one of them made a deal and stopped future Avatars from learning about him and that if I want to find the real one who is basically immortal now? that I should talk to Jinora because she can track spirits and apparently she's seen the Chi Eater too and he could like sense this from our presences I guess because of our journeys into the Spirit World and now I need to go see her and get her to help me track him down so I can find him and stop him once and for all and put all of this behind us for good.”

Triumphantly, Korra huffed, finishing her explanation in as few breaths as possible (about 3 and a half not counting the big one at the start, by her estimation) and concluding it all with a gasp and a sigh, buckling over slightly with her hands on her knees while her teacher presumably struggled to process everything she told him.

Much to her surprise when she finally did look back up however, the look on Tenzin's face was not one of confusion, but of concern and contemplation, his hands folded in front of him as he went over what she'd said in his head a couple more times, just to be sure that he'd caught it all.

“I see... and you're _sure_ that the Chi Eater is still alive?” He asked.

“I wouldn't be here right now if I wasn't. My meeting with Koh basically confirmed it.” Korra frowned, a hint of surprise on her voice that he’d followed all that. In response, Tenzin hummed, closing his eyes. That wasn’t good, not at all. If _that_ was the state of things, then...

“I want to ask you more about Koh and if you're okay, but you seem to still have a face, so we can save that for later,” He began, the slightest tinge of disappointment in his voice. The spirits always did fascinate him after all, especially Koh – he remembered his father's stories about him well, and had passed those stories on to his kids and to Korra. Seemed as though that decision had served the Avatar well today. That was worth being proud of at least, even if he _did_ want to hear more.

“More importantly, we need to talk about your dream. And what was this about a meeting with Lin and the president?”

Korra winced. Seemed like he'd caught everything in her swift, long-winded explanation after all, then. Right.

“I... kind of convened an emergency meeting with them – and Mako and Bolin, too, since the Chi Eater was and technically still _is_ their case and all. I considered inviting you, too, but... given everything that's been going on recently with Opal, and how badly the Air Nation has been needed in the city, I thought that maybe it would be best to leave you be for a bit. I wanted to avoid worrying you any more than I had to until I knew exactly what was going on.” Well, 'Honesty is the best policy' and all of that, she supposed. Once again, Tenzin hummed in thought in response.

“I see... I think you were wise to keep the circle small until you knew more. It's easier to prevent a panic when there are less parties involved, particularly when you don't know that there's any reason to yet. There are some things that are better left on a need-to-know basis, even among friends and family.” He surmised. Korra nodded.

“Yes, exactly! So... you're not mad at me then?” She tentatively asked. Tenzin shook his head.

“You're the Avatar – these are your decisions to make, not mine, and you'll make the ones that you think are right. Personally, I agree with your decision. I'm not so sure that the possibility of another manhunt is any of my concern, anymore, Chi Eater or no Chi Eater – I may help out here and there as a fellow World Leader, but I'm not part of the City Council anymore.” That he wasn't. He almost seemed like he was _relieved_ to have been kept out of the loop at first. Because of his hangover, maybe? He certainly wouldn’t have enjoyed an early-morning meeting like that – Lin certainly hadn’t. But, whatever the reason, Korra smiled.

“And besides, like you said, things have been a little... _hectic_ around here, lately,” Not to mention spread too thin, he thought, stroking his beard. “So my attention has been needed here with the Air Nation more than anywhere else. I appreciate that you were able to recognize this. You've really started growing into your role, Avatar Korra.” He smiled. Korra bashfully rubbed the back of her neck. He made it sound like a lot more than it was, but, maybe he wasn't wrong. She probably would've wanted to consult with him to make sure she was on the right track not even 2 months ago in a situation like this, but now...

“Thank you. I'm glad it was the right call after all, then. And... it means a lot to know that you believe in me so much.” She admitted with a smile. She'd known that he had faith in her before, of course, but... it was easy for her to forget that sometimes, you know? Knowing this full well, Tenzin just nodded, continuing to smile.

“All that being said, now that this _does_ concern me, I'm not sure that I like the idea of dragging Jinora into this. Are you sure that there isn't any other way? Can't you try to track the Chi Eater yourself?” Her smile fading, Korra shook her head.

“No. I know I should be able to, I _feel_ like I should be able to, but I can't. I think maybe he's found some way to hide himself from me... like he knows I'll be looking for him, so he's factored that in with his powers somehow.” She admitted with a defeated sigh.

One of the very first things she did after stepping back through that portal was to try and find him through the spirit vines and the roots of the Banyon Grove Tree. Unfortunately, however, it was to no avail. He’d been long since aware of her suspicion and was prepared for her because of it, and she knew it. She could _feel_ it.

“That's why I need to see Jinora. If Koh's right, if Jinora _has_ encountered him before without her realizing it, then maybe _he_ didn't realize it either. Maybe he won't see her coming if she tries to hone in on his energy.” Assuming of course that she would even know which energy to hone in on or how to begin looking for it. But maybe, with some luck...

“Hm... you're not wrong, but...” But she was still his daughter, and this sounded like the equivalent of poking the scorpion bee's nest with a stick. If this actually worked, the Chi Eater would probably know right away, and he would probably go on the defensive because of it... or worse. Did he really want to risk his daughter ending up on the Chi Eater's hit list?

“Tenzin. We need her.” Korra affirmed. “I know that she's young, and I understand that you're worried, but she's a master just like you and she may be the only one capable of helping me end this. We _need_ to find this guy before he disappears again. We can't just let him go for another 25 years. Not again.” She begged. Tenzin closed his eyes and sighed.

“I know.” He conceded, rising from his seat. As he approached her, Korra reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, giving him a thankful smile.

“I'll take care of her, I promise.” Tenzin nodded once. “Do you know where she is? I couldn't get a read on her through the spirit vines when I was looking for the Chi Eater earlier...” At this, Tenzin raised an eyebrow, a little confused.

“You can sense people through the vines now?” That was news to him, but... “She's outside, training, with Opal. Suyin's out there too, she was looking for you earlier. She mentioned wanting to talk to you about something?”

Suyin? That could only mean it was something about Kuvira, then. Korra groaned purely on reflex.

“One mess at a time, Tenzin, please,” She begged. The old master twitched a grin at that one.

“After last night's incident, she and I thought it best we go over Opal's training from the beginning. I've been letting Jinora handle it while I dealt with some paperwork in regards to the city.” From the beginning? The Avatar winced.

“Lectures and all?” She asked. Tenzin was silent, which in his case indicated an emphatic 'yes'. “Well, if you can't do the time...”

“Quite. Anyway, if you'll follow me,” Walking past the Avatar and whipping his cloak behind him in a motion to follow, the young woman nodded once and accompanied him down the hall and to the primary training grounds.

Even though most of them were dispatched throughout the city doing clean-up and reconstruction work, and more still were on loan all throughout the new Earth Territories, it seemed as though there were still a good number of Airbenders here on the island, as well. It wasn't the only temple, no, but it _did_ serve as something of a worldwide hub for the Air Nation.

More Airbenders still showed up from time to time, too, from what she’d heard. Their bending wasn't anything new for them per se, but, as word about the Air Nation started getting around, more and more people began willingly showing up at temples around the world, hoping to master their powers and maybe get a chance at making a difference. She'd heard the stories from Tenzin and the kids after coming back from the South, but this was the first time Korra had really taken the time to let it all soak in.

Maybe it was just because there were so many new faces here, but, she couldn't help but smile as she walked past them all. All of that suffering really was worth it in the end, huh?

One thing caught her eye even more than all of the new faces though, and that was the familiar face in the crowd with a daring new look. Was that...?

“I... why is Bumi's beard purple?” Korra asked, glancing up at Tenzin and then at a wall to her left splattered with the same shade. Well, save for a human-sized blank space in the middle, anyway, one which was suspiciously Bumi-shaped. At this, Tenzin groaned.  
  
“Right, you haven't seen him since the premiere... he wanted to set up “traps” for the Chi Eater in case it showed up on Air Temple Island. For whatever reason, one of them involved purple paint balloons. Apparently he forgot to disarm them all after everything was settled and ended up springing one of them on himself the next morning.” Though Tenzin was less than amused, Korra couldn’t help but break into a fit of laughter. That sounded like him, alright.

“They should be on the overlook above the cove.” He continued, shifting their focus back to Opal and Jinora. Right. She could catch up on Bumi and the Air Nation later – there were more important matters to attend to first. A moment more of walking, and the group of three finally came into view.

While Opal practiced basic forms in the floral design in the middle of the overlook, circling the flower’s center, Jinora had seated herself near the edge of the cliff while facing in Opal’s direction, Suyin seated nearby on a bench to their left.

Korra's expression became stern as the two Beifongs came into view, the younger of the two briefly glancing her way as she moved around the flower before looking away again with a gulp. Her look reflexively softening, the Avatar frowned, concerned she had given her the wrong impression.

Suyin, meanwhile, gave her a tired smile and a hello, prompting Jinora to open her eyes at the mention of Korra’s name. When she saw that it was true, she immediately jumped up, an Airbending boost carrying her onto her feet so that she could run up pull the Avatar into a great big hug hello. Korra offered no resistance, smiling wide as she held the young woman close.

“Korra! Welcome back!” Jinora began, the Avatar thanking her with a comfortable laugh. “How are you? What’s it like staying with Asami?” She continued somewhat excitedly. Now that Korra was living with her fiancee, they didn’t really get as much time to hang out and catch up as they used to. Before she could give Jinora any answers though, Suyin spoke back up.

“It’s good to see you again Korra, I was just asking Tenzin if he knew where you were,” She tacked on to her initial greeting as Korra and Jinora’s hug drew to a close. Behind her, Opal remained quiet, giving no indication that she’d noticed Korra was here beyond her initial gulp, her focus on her forms while her mother’s was on the Avatar. “There's something I wanted to talk to you about.” She confirmed. Korra’s smile reflexively waned. She had a feeling she knew what.

“Is it about Kuvira?” She asked as Jinora released her hold, backing up so that she was standing next to Suyin while Tenzin stood tall next to Korra. Reflexively, he glanced in his daughter’s direction, who flashed him a warm smile in return. He smiled back hesitantly.

“Well, yes, though I don't know if it's good or bad, exactly.” Korra quirked her head to the side. “I'd stopped by her prison earlier in order to try and... resolve things,” It was more than that, of course, but Korra wasn't going to press her for any details. “But she didn't seem very interested. I thought that maybe she just didn't care, but, before I left, she asked me to tell you that she’s ready to talk.” Though she wasn't sure what she meant by that exactly, the look on Korra's face seemed to indicate that at least _she_ did.

“That's... good news, actually, I think.” She replied after a moment of silence, a hesitant grin on her face. “Thank you for telling me. I'll be sure to drop by as soon as I can.” At this Suyin nodded, her expression inscrutable. She still had mixed feelings about all of this, about helping her, and Korra couldn’t blame her. But it was still the right thing to do.

With the message relayed, Suyin simply bowed and then returned to her bench to watch her daughter practice. Though there wasn’t any doubt she could hear them from where she was, Opal seemed to be completely focused on completing her forms for right now. She’d had enough of Kuvira for one lifetime.

Looking back at Jinora now, the reason she was here in the first place, when she saw the girl's smile, Korra's own gave way completely. She guessed there was no point in beating around the bush, then.

“Right, Jinora, there's... something I need to ask you.” She began, the gravity of her tone grounding the young master's mood. This wasn’t a leisure visit, then.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?” She asked, only just now taking notice of how roughed up Korra looked. She was so excited to see her before, she hadn’t realized... “...Your energy feels off.” She frowned. Korra and Tenzin shared a look.

“I was in the Spirit World, talking to Koh. Well... fighting with him, anyway.” Korra explained. It was a long story, as Tenzin could attest. “Long story short... something was bugging me about the Chi Eater, so I wanted to investigate it a little more on my own. So, I went to the Spirit World to see what they knew and met with Iroh, and Iroh pointed me to Koh, and Koh told me exactly what I was afraid of: he’s still alive. The _real_ Chi Eater, not the spirit.” Jinora looked up at her father for confirmation. He nodded gravely.

“How is that possible?” She asked.

“I don't know. Koh said he was immortal, and Mako and Bolin theorized that he may be using the chi he takes from others to extend his own life somehow, like some sort of... energy eating vampire, or something.” Korra recited with a shrug, not really sure _what_ to believe anymore. It certainly tracked with everything else that they knew, so as far as theories went, it actually fit pretty well, but...

“Either way, Koh told me something else before I left. He said that he could sense the Chi Eater on me, his energy. For me, that isn't very surprising. I destroyed his corrupted spirit and I directly bent his energy. But...” Korra paused and Jinora grew concerned. Tenzin remained silent. “He mentioned you, too.”

“Me?” She asked, gesturing to herself with surprise. Tenzin nodded once again.

“According to Koh, at some point or another, you met him. Maybe it was just in passing, maybe it was somebody you encountered during the reconstruction, but somehow, somewhere, you two got close enough to each other that some of his energy latched onto yours, and Koh could sense it any time you meditated into the Spirit World.”

“Have you been doing that often, Jinora?” Her father asked, finally speaking for the first time since he and Korra had arrived. The teenaged girl nodded slowly.

“Yeah, I... I was just meditating before you two came by, while Opal was practicing...” She admitted. “I've been working on maintaining a sense of my surroundings while meditating, so, I was keeping track of Opal too, but, I was also in the Spirit World. I had no idea.” She frowned. Maybe she wasn't as good as she thought if she couldn't sense a foreign energy latched onto her own. She may have been connecting a lot more with her spiritual side these days, but, clearly, she still had a ways to go. Korra, however, looked as if some great mystery had just been solved for her.

“No wonder I couldn't sense you through the spirit vines...” She thought aloud, rubbing her chin. She hoped that wasn't why she couldn't sense the Chi Eater, either. The last place an Energybender that powerful needed to be was the Spirit World. While Jinora looked momentarily confused by that statement, she got no further clarification before Korra continued.

“Anyway, that's why I'm here. I can't find this guy, I've tried, but he knows that I'm looking for him and he's doing everything in his power to make sure that I can’t. But if you had no idea that you encountered him, then maybe the same goes for him, too. In other words... he probably won't be expecting _you_.”

Though Korra had stated this with confidence, Tenzin looked far less self-assured. It was understandable why he’d be concerned, given what was being asked of her, but Jinora understood the gravity of the situation. They didn’t have very many options here, and more than that, they didn’t have any time to lose.

“Right. I'm on it.” She responded almost immediately, Tenzin reflexively reaching out for her just as she turned to walk away, back to the spot where she had been meditating before.

“Jinora, wait,” He begged.

By this point, Opal had stopped practicing, not that any of those gathered aside from Suyin had noticed. But the second that Korra had mentioned the Chi Eater, she’d frozen in place, her forms swiftly ending. She was a part of that fight, too. She saw what that thing did. If it was still alive, or whoever created it was, anyway, then that... well, she had nothing to really add to this either way. She only watched as Jinora walked past her, ignoring her father's call.

“Are you sure this is a good idea? What if he senses you? He's an Energybender! If he detects your Astral Projection, he...”

“Dad, stop.” Jinora said, raising her hand as she sat back down. “This is bigger than us.” The sincerity in her voice. The intensity behind her eyes. Sometimes he forget she wasn’t just his little girl anymore, but an Airbending master, too. It was just that with her age, he could sometimes forget she had the wisdom and the drive of one, too.

Tenzin lowered his arm.

“...I know.” He admitted. Jinora smiled, lowering her hand.

“I'll be okay, I promise.”

“I hope so...” Tenzin sighed. Korra simply placed a hand on his shoulder while Opal looked down at the ground, maintaining her silence. The Avatar's frown only deepened at the sight.

“Opal? Are you okay?”

“I'm fine.” She dismissed. “This sounds important. I'll just go join Kai and the other Airbenders for now.” She announced, hurriedly walking off to go do just that before anybody else could tell her otherwise. At this, Suyin sighed, rising up from her seat.

“Well, far be it from me to get in the way.” She said, bowing her head briefly and then coming up to place a hand on Tenzin’s shoulder before walking away, giving him a brief, comforting smile and a short nod before following after her daughter. Somebody had to watch her practice her forms. It may as well be her while she still had the time.

“This could take some time,” Jinora said, grabbing Korra’s and Tenzin’s attention. Then she closed her eyes, getting ready to meditate again. “I need to see if I can’t isolate his energy from my own and then try and trace it from there. Until then, maybe you should go see Kuvira.” The Avatar nodded at her suggestion.

“That sounds like a good idea.” It’s not like she’d be able to find the time later on, after all. Once she had the Chi Eater’s true identity, she had other work to get done.

“Then I will stay here and watch over my daughter, in case anything happens.” Tenzin concluded. The rest of his paperwork could wait. Korra nodded. Next stop – Kuvira’s prison.

 

*** *** *** *** *** ***

 

Maybe it was just the Water Tribe in her, but, when she had the time to stand there and just soak it all in like this, Kuvira’s prison was actually kind of... well, _pretty_.

The endless blue of the sea and the sky, the beautiful sunrises and even more beautiful sunsets, the nice, salty sent of that warm ocean air – it was all something Korra enjoyed immensely, personally speaking. It was something in her blood.

Maybe Kuvira felt differently, but, now that she was here during the day and not trying to prevent an attempted homicide, it was actually kind of nice. She wouldn’t mind visiting here every now and again, if Kuvira really did want to talk.

When the Avatar arrived, she was greeted warmer and with more fanfare than Suyin.

Even despite the events of the other night and the cover-up that followed, the guards all still seemed to like her. She was thankful, but always a little put off by all the attention. She’d reveled in it when she was younger and a lot more hot-headed, but now... she wasn’t really sure what changed, but it didn’t quite feel right.

As the guards led her to Kuvira’s cage at the center of the platform and placed a seat in front of the bars for her to use, she bowed to them with respect, dismissing them all and asking that she be allowed to speak with Kuvira in private. Nodding, the RCPD officers gathered in the break room, the muffled sounds of the radio indicating about as much privacy as she and Kuvira would be allowed.

Unlike her previous visitor however, Kuvira heard the creaking of the wooden seat put out for her almost as soon as her footsteps came to a stop, the disgraced Uniter yet to turn around to greet her. Rather, she was seated in the center of her cell in a lotus position, her back to the Avatar and her eyes lightly closed. Was she meditating? Was it a bad time?

For a moment, there was silence, only the sound of the waves breaking against the wooden platform and the radio behind them to fracture the tension. The sun wasn’t setting just yet, but it was starting to hang low on the horizon in the direction Kuvira was currently facing, and the sky was that deep, dusky shade of blue that Korra loved so much. It was almost something beautiful in its own unique way. The way that the light illuminated the prisoner before her. She wasn’t really sure what to say.

Sensing this, Kuvira took it upon herself to be the one to break the ice.

“I see that Suyin gave you my message, then.” She began. Korra was silent, allowing her to continue. “It’s been a while... Avatar Korra.” She said, tilting back her head and listlessly looking up at her from over her right shoulder. While Kuvira appeared to be a little worse for wear, Korra seemed to be back in tip-top shape. Seemed she’d decided to change and fix herself up before heading out to meet with the once-great ‘Uniter’.

“I guess it has.” She supposed. Did the other night with Opal really qualify as an encounter? Kuvira didn’t seem to think so. “She said you were ready to talk?”

“I’ve been hearing about what’s been going on these last couple months over the radio,” Kuvira replied, dodging the Avatar’s question. “It sounds like you’ve been keeping busy since you got back from the Spirit World. And with Asami Sato, no less? I have to say... you always did seem the type.” She grinned. Korra wasn’t sure what to make of that. Noting her confusion, Kuvira’s grin faded.

“I’m sorry. I thought it would be better that I try to act casually, given how our last few meetings have gone.” She explained. Korra looked concerned, but understanding.

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not.” Kuvira corrected. Korra’s look softened further and the prisoner turned around, now facing her completely and staring her down.

“...What... what did you want to talk to me about?” She asked with some hesitation, a little unsure of what to make of the situation. She hadn’t seen Kuvira this calm in... well, years, honestly. Since she first met her back in Zaofu. It was almost unnerving, given the persona she’d been having to deal with as of late. She certainly wasn’t this calm with Opal, even though she seemed to be getting exactly what she wanted from her back then. Maybe that was what troubled the Avatar the most, though.

“I’m sure you have a few ideas.” Kuvira suggested.

“I do.”

“Are you going to be asking me, then?”

“Asking you what?”  
  
“Why I wanted to die.” Korra fell silent again as she felt a lump form in her throat. She thought so. Kuvira’s expression was unwavering, and after a moment, Korra had it in her to eke out a response.

“...I don’t know that it’s my place to ask you that.” She admitted. “I’m... I’m sure you have your reasons for feeling that way. I can imagine. But I couldn’t let Opal do that, for either of your sakes.”

“Why not?”

“Because it isn’t right.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“Isn’t that enough?” Kuvira was the one to fall silent this time. “Regardless of what it would mean for Opal, I... I don’t think you deserve to die.” She admitted. Kuvira tensed.

“You told her you think I can change.” She recited. The Avatar nodded. Slowly, but with confidence. “Why?”

“Anyone can change if they’re willing to try.”

“And what if I’m not willing to try?”  
  
“Then why would you want to call me here?”

“What if I wanted to tell you that you’re wrong to your face?”

“I don’t believe that.”

“And why not?”

“Because you finally seem like you’re yourself again.” Korra smiled. Kuvira glanced away, down and to her left, unable to keep her gaze. There was always such a coldness behind those eyes of hers before, a sharpness like steel. All of that was gone now. Korra could see that.

“Are you saying I wasn’t myself before?” Kuvira followed up, returning her gaze to Korra’s eyes. The Avatar’s smile weakened.

“I’m saying I know what it’s like.” She simply replied. Kuvira looked down again. She supposed that she would. The two remained silent for a couple of moments, the sun hanging ever-lower on the horizon. She wasn’t really sure what she expected when she got here. It definitely wasn’t this. But she couldn’t say that she wasn’t okay with it.

“Do you want to talk about it?” The Avatar asked. Kuvira seemed uncertain.

“I feel like you may understand it more than anybody might know.” Korra smiled sadly.

“Not anybody.” Right. There was always Asami. Kuvira looked away.

“I’m sure she’s no fan of mine, either.” The Metalbender reasoned. After all, she _had_ killed her father. Even with as complicated as a relationship as they may have had, that wasn’t something that you just... got over.

“No, not particularly.” Korra conceded. “But she doesn’t want to see you dead, either, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Kuvira glanced back in Korra’s direction. “She’s a creator, not a destroyer. A fixer. She’s too kind for something like that. All she ever wants to do is to try and help people and fix things. I think it’s one of the things I love the most about her.” She stated with fondness, the look on her face immediately becoming softer as she spoke about Asami. Kuvira’s expression seemed mixed about that. “I can’t speak for her, not really. I don’t know what she’d say to you if she were here right now, if anything. But I know she doesn’t want you dead. A lot of people don’t.”

“I wonder about that.”

“Why?”

“Do you really have to ask?” Korra didn’t reply to that. She just looked at her, patiently, until Kuvira finally caved. “It’s reasonable, after everything I’ve done. The intimidation. The fear. The reeducation camps. What I did to Republic City. I was surprised they didn’t sentence me to hang.” She laughed, though not in a way that indicated humor. Rather, she seemed more confused and exhausted than anything else. “I guess maybe you played a part in that. I heard your speech on the radio.” Korra gave her a smile.

“Not as big of a role as you might be thinking.” Kuvira looked confused. “I was afraid they’d try to make an example of you, too. But by the time I’d come back they’d already more-or-less made their decision. Maybe hearing that the Avatar agreed with them helped to finalize things, but, execution wasn’t seeming very likely when I went in to testify.”

Kuvira didn’t know how to reply to that.

“I don’t know. Maybe they were already thinking everything I was. Maybe they just thought you’d be more useful going forward if you were alive, to help ratify and organize the states now that Wu’s doing away with the monarchy. Whatever their reason though, it was the right call, I think.”

“Why do you seem so sure?”

“Because you can do more than just destroy. I’ve seen it.” The earnestness in the Avatar’s voice wasn’t something Kuvira had been expecting. But in retrospect, maybe she should have. “I don’t know if I ever properly thanked you for saving my father.” She mentioned. At this, Kuvira smirked.

“I save yours, but I kill your fiancee’s. Are you really willing to overlook one for the other?” She asked, some confidence her voice as though she felt she’d somehow trapped Korra. But the Avatar was unaffected, continuing to speak as earnestly as before.

“I’m not overlooking either of them, I’m just saying that it’s complicated. _People_ are complicated.” Korra reasoned. “You said you heard my speech... so you must’ve heard when I was talking about balance, too, right?” She didn’t say anything, but the look in Kuvira’s eyes was response enough for her.

“When people are out of balance, sometimes, they can do some awful things, but... for the right reasons. I feel like a lot of the people I’ve had to face as the Avatar have been like that. You, Amon, Unalaq. Even Zaheer. I don’t think anything you or they wanted to achieve was entirely wrong, per se. Not anymore, anyway. But the ways you were going about it definitely was.”

“You heard about the prison camps, didn’t you?” Kuvira asked. Somberly, Korra nodded. “How can you know about that and yet sit there and say that with such certainty?”

“You wanted to protect your people, but you lost your focus along the way and forgot who you were supposed to be protecting them from. I’m neither excusing or justifying your actions; the way that you’re talking now, it’s clear to me that even _you_ know that you went too far. But I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that I don’t understand them, either.” Kuvira clenched her jaw, inhaling sharply.

“You’ve felt this way too.” Kuvira said, neither accusatory or inquisitive. Rather, it was more like a statement of the facts, a recollection of an earlier revelation. Korra had been here once before.

“It’s like I told you in the Spirit World. I know what it’s like to be afraid. To want to take back control. And...” The Avatar paused, taking a deep breath in and out before continuing. “I know what it’s like to think that maybe the world would be better off if you were dead, too.” Kuvira was deathly silent, so Korra continued.

“There were a few times during my recovery that I thought I would never get better. I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind once or twice that maybe I should just restart the Avatar cycle myself. It wouldn’t have been hard. I was in a pretty dark place, and I was sure there were some out there who would’ve agreed with my actions if I did.” She explained.

“But I couldn’t go through with it. I knew that it was wrong. There were people who were waiting for me I wanted to get back to, and I didn’t feel like I was done being the Avatar just yet. I still felt like there was more that I could still do. That I was _supposed_ to do. I still felt like maybe my purpose hadn’t been fulfilled just yet. I’ve confided all of this in Asami, but, other than her, I’ve never told anybody else. Not even my parents.”

“Then why would you tell me?”

“Because I know you know where I’m coming from, too.” Korra smiled. Kuvira wasn’t sure what to say to that. She wasn’t wrong, but...

“I know that our circumstances were different. They _are_ different. But I think I have an idea what you’re feeling right now, why you goaded Opal into doing what she almost did. I get it. You think it’s what everybody wants, but it’s not, and even if they was, it’d still be wrong. But you also think it’d be easier. And maybe it would be. But since when have you been one to back away from a challenge? That doesn’t seem like you at all. You’re just as hard-headed and ambitious as I am. I doubt that you feel like your purpose has been fulfilled yet, either.”

Kuvira maintained her silence.

“I told Opal that I see a lot of you in me, and it’s true. I could’ve easily become just like you. Maybe a few times I almost did. But if that’s true, then maybe there’s a lot of me in you, too. Maybe it can go both ways. I meant it when I told her that maybe you can be more like me, someday.” More like the Avatar, huh? Kuvira was unconvinced.

“Even if I can, what does it matter? They’ll never let me out of here again. It’s not like I’d really be able to do anything with that.” Korra shook her head.

“You don’t know that for sure. If I know anything about President Raiko, he’s probably brainstorming a way to haul you around the Earth Kingdom territories right now in order to help ease the transition back into independent statehood. He’s way too pragmatic for anything else.” Korra smirked. That was certainly one way to put it.

“Maybe you’ll never be entirely free again, but if what you told me about wanting to protect your people was true, then there’s still a chance that you’ll be able to help with that.”

“Do you really think they’ll even want my help?” Kuvira pressed.

“I don’t know.” Korra shrugged.

“Do you think they even need it?”

“I don’t know.” Korra shrugged again. “I can’t tell you anything for certain other than the fact that you can’t do much of anything while you’re dead.”

Kuvira looked down again.

“You said you’d be willing to accept any punishment that was decided for you. Well, this is what you’ve been given. So you can either choose to see it as being forced to live with what you’ve done and suffer with that, or as an opportunity to do anything, _everything_ you can to make up for it. But whatever you choose, the path is up to you.” Kuvira inhaled deeply, holding her breath for a moment before letting it escape her mouth in a sigh, the sun finally starting to go down behind her.

“I’ll never be able to go back to them, will I?” She asked the Avatar earnestly.

“I think there’s only one way to find out for sure.” Korra replied. Kuvira smirked. She guessed that there was.

“Fine then. I think you’ve made your point.” The Metalbender sighed, rising from her seated position and prompting Korra to do the same. “Thank you. And. I’m sorry.” She bowed. Korra smiled, bowing back in return. “I know it’s not enough to make up for anything I’ve done.” She apologized further. Korra shook her head.

“No. And maybe there is no way to do that completely. But it’s a start.” She affirmed with a smile. Kuvira closed her eyes, smiling back in return. So it was. “I’ll take that as a promise, then?” She asked. Kuvira nodded once.

“Yeah. A promise.” She said, sincere. Korra nodded back.

“Then I’ll hold you to it.” Kuvira sighed, turning back around and returning to a seated position on the floor.

“You should go. It’s getting late.” She mentioned, getting back into the lotus position she had been in before and closing both her eyes. “You shouldn’t let someone like me take too much of your time.”

Korra disagreed, shaking her head.

“I don’t mind. I’m... just glad you were willing to talk a little bit. I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I came out here.” She admitted. Admittedly, Kuvira wasn’t all that sure, either. But after Suyin, she thought... _maybe_...

“Thank you. Again.” Though she couldn’t see it, Korra nodded, one more time.

“Of course. I actually should get going now, but... I’ll try and visit you again sometime soon, if you’re alright with that.”

“Whatever you want, Avatar.” Kuvira dismissed. Korra just laughed. Maybe there was hope for her yet.

 

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

Viper was nobody’s favorite, that much was certain. But in the absence of Lightning Bolt Zolt, who Avatar Korra had predictably refused to restore bending to, there wasn’t really anybody else left considered savvy or skilled enough to take over the organization of the Triple Threats in his stead.

Maybe he wasn’t as seasoned as Zolt, but he was certainly just as shrewd and as cruel of a man. He lacked some of his presence and theatricality, but made up for that with his surprising efficiency when it came to actually deciding things and managing the day-to-day business of running a Triad. It was only because of him that the Triple Threats were still around and the top of the food chain in Republic City’s criminal underbelly, even to this day.

So no, maybe he wasn’t everything Zolt had been, but he was certainly easier to get a hold of, particularly for Ravi – the two of them went back further than he and Zolt did. After all, they weren’t too far apart in age, all things considered. Therefore, arranging a meeting with the head of the Triple Threats wasn’t as difficult a proposition as it may have seemed on the surface. A phone call and a drive into Triple Threat territory, and he was sitting face-to-face with the man across a restaurant table, the premises completely empty save for whatever muscle he decided to bring along in the case of an attack from a rival organization.

“I gotta say, that’s quite the achievement there, Ravi... getting Atsushi and Chiasa to agree on anything is like trying to Waterbend inside a volcano.” He remarked as he cut another piece from the rather large and expensive looking steak on his plate, the tall and imposing Earthbender seated across from him having seemingly finished his meal a few moments prior.

“At the end of the day, we are all still businessmen, are we not?” He asked with a smirk. “When the offer is this good, only a fool would turn it down. With your cooperation, the four of us could run this city within the week.” Viper took another bite of his meat, deciding to start talking before he’d completely finished chewing.

“Yeah, that’s a mighty interesting proposition you’ve got there,” He mentioned, taking a pause to swallow and then take a sip of his wine. “Can’t say I’m not intrigued, but I _am_ a little concerned. You’re honorable enough, but Atsushi is impulsive, and Chiasa is the most devious bitch this side of Kuvira’s prison cell. Working with the Terra Triad should be easy enough, but the Agni Kais and the Red Monsoons, too? I don’t think we have it in us. We’re _all_ just too greedy.” He declared, lifting his glass so that the waiter behind him and to his left would poor him more wine.

“You say that, but the three of us have already managed to successfully trade territories and finalize some agreements in how to progress. The only holdout left is you, because you didn’t want to be seen in Agni Kai territory.” Viper shook his head, taking another sip from his glass.

“You know it’s not that simple. Yeah, there’s a lot of people in the Agni Kais that want me dead, that’s part of it for sure, but there ain’t no way I’m going to a restaurant with as dangerous a crowd as that one had. The President and the Chief of Police were bad enough, but the Avatar, too? Yeah, I don’t think so.”

“I had the situation under control. My position as acting CEO of Future Industries for the previous two months has afforded me plenty of opportunities to cozy up to all the right people. Nobody suspects a thing about my Terra operations, and no one was any the wiser to the presence of three of the most wanted criminals in all of Republic City right under their noses.”

“Except that’s not entirely true, is it?” Viper asked. Ravi looked confused. “From what my sources tell me, Atsushi very nearly caused a scene with the Avatar and that there fiancee of hers, no?” The Earthbender’s look hardened.

“I had it under control.” He asserted. Viper smiled and gave a shrug.

“None of you are dead or in jail, so clearly you did. But you can’t blame me for being concerned nevertheless. That’s exactly the kind of behavior that makes me worry about that guy.” Viper reasoned.

“That does bring me to my next order of business though, which is that there Avatar of ours. She’s a bit of a wild card these days, no? Technically she isn’t law enforcement, but that doesn’t mean her words and actions aren’t as good as the law, anyways. She’s going to come knocking on all our doors sooner rather than later once we start making bigger and bigger moves on the city, and seeing how she dealt with that whole Chi Eater situation, I’m not terribly confident there’s anything we could do to stop her when she does. It may be better to lay low and operate as we always have.”

“ _Did_ she handle it, I wonder?” Ravi asked. Viper raised an eyebrow.

“What, are you saying that spirit thing’s still alive?” He asked. Ravi shook his head.

“I have no clue, but I’d doubt it. I’d be more concerned about whoever created it, and I’m sure that she is, too. Maybe it was a holdover from the distant past like she said, but then again, maybe not. Whatever the case may be, I can’t say I can see her letting the Chi Eater case go until she investigates the possibility. In which case, we are left with a small but very open window in which we can make some of our biggest and boldest moves without fear of reprisal from the Avatar, at the very least not without some delay on her part.”

“Maybe. But if what you’re saying is true, then that wouldn’t bode well for us, either, would it? As I recall, that thing took out one of the Agni Kais’ heaviest hitters like he was nothing. Clearly they aren’t intimidated by the four Bending Triads.”

“And?” Ravi asked. “We will put our faith in the Avatar like everybody else. She’ll inadvertently be working to our advantage and fulfilling her duty all at the same time, it’s a win-win situation for us both.” Viper laughed.

“Oh, you’re good.” The Waterbender admitted. “Say she does take care of the Chi Eater problem though, presuming that is still a thing that is ongoing. What then? She’s still going to come barreling our way. Even with the four of us Triad heads together, I don’t know that we could take her, especially since she won’t be working alone. She’ll undoubtedly have those brothers and the rest of the police on her side, and they’re all bad enough as it is. How do you propose we stop her then?” He asked.

“It’s simple,” Ravi began, folding his hands in front of him. “You cannot attack the Avatar directly, she’s too powerful for any one bender alone – maybe even all of us. You’re right about that. So, we don’t attack her directly. We go after her heart, instead.” Viper’s eyes narrowed.

“You don’t mean...” Ravi nodded.

“By using Asami Sato as a hostage and a bartering chip, I can practically guarantee that we won’t be facing any trouble from Avatar Korra.” Viper flashed a toothy grin.

“That’s cold, Ravi, even for you. I like it.” Ravi smiled. “I thought that girl was pretty special to you, though. Are you really saying you’d be willing to hurt her if it came right down to it?” He asked.

“I’m saying it doesn’t matter whether I do or not, the threat alone will keep the Avatar at bay. But yes, if it came down to it, I would not be opposed to roughing her up some to prove a point. I am the leader of the Terra Triad, first and foremost. My business will _always_ come first.” Viper leaned back in his seat, whistling in awe.

“I’m impressed. Alright then, rock boy. You’ve got yourself a deal. I’ll meet you and the other two Triad leaders at the Future Industries Warehouse in Dragon Flats tomorrow night. I think it’s time we take this city for ourselves once and for all.” Ravi’s smile only widened.

Perfect.

Everything was going according to plan.

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

Back on Air Temple Island, Jinora had been making a breakthrough.

She’d finally managed to isolate the strange bit of energy that’d attached itself to her, though she hadn’t been able to separate it from herself just yet. It was weird, almost as if it was still connected to its source somehow, like it was keeping an eye on her. But if that was the case it certainly didn’t seem to do anything in reaction to Jinora’s discovery of it – not that it was something it should be able to be aware of regardless. After all, she hadn’t tried to shed it just yet, so that was what would probably alert whoever put it there to the fact that she was onto them.

It was almost like some sort of tracking device then, keeping the energy’s source – the Chi Eater – apprised of her position and condition at all times. She’d never read or heard of anything like it before – she didn’t even know how this was technically possible – but it was there, and if it was there, and if it was really keeping track of her, then it should still be connected back to its source somehow.

In which case, if she could manage to follow it back to wherever it came from, or if she could focus and search for its specific signature somewhere else in Republic City, she’d know for a fact that she’d found him.

By now, she had been left alone on the outlook over the cove.

Opal and Suyin had finished up elsewhere and the Airbenders who had been practicing outside had either gone in to eat dinner or back into the city to get some last minute relief work done, before the sun fully set. Even Tenzin had gone back inside, if only momentarily. Something about wanting to keep Lin apprised of the situation and letting her know that Korra was back and had gone to see Kuvira. She ultimately would’ve heard about it anyway as the Chief of Police and all, but, it was best to make sure everybody was as updated as possible on everything going on right now.

With no one around to worry or distract her then, now was as good a time as any to see if she couldn’t try and follow this... _thing_ back to its source and find out who the Chi Eater really was.

Focusing harder than ever before, she projected her spirit out of her body and manifested it in the sky high above the center of Republic City, scanning the metropolis for anything even remotely similar. It honestly didn’t take her long before she found it. It was a pretty unique signature, after all, even if he was somehow managing to suppress it around people like Korra and herself who ordinarily should’ve seen him coming from miles away.

Following the feeling down the city streets and toward a highrise apartment complex in the newly constructed residential district, her ghostly form disappeared just outside of the building and began manifesting on different floors in numerical order, teleporting around higher and higher, looking for whichever one registered his energy the strongest.

As she neared the top floor, she could feel it stronger than ever, meaning he was definitely close... and the closer she got, the clearer it became, too. That _uneasiness_. She wasn’t really sure how to describe it other than that it felt like it was something... _evil_ , which given who it was, probably wasn’t too far off. She hadn’t felt anything like this since the night of the premiere.

Initially, it wasn’t so intense. It was just this unsettling aura surrounding him, permeating the building. But as she got closer and closer, something about him had changed.

She couldn’t put her finger on what, exactly, but her head was beginning to hurt, just like it had during the premiere. She must’ve been closing in on him now.

Finally, she had made it to the top floor. There was no doubt about it – he was here, in this suite. This penthouse seemed to take up the entirety of the top floor, and there was a clear view of Republic City’s new Spirit Portal over the balcony straight ahead from its private, express elevator.

But now that she was here, his power was stronger than ever.

Was he letting his guard down a bit, thinking there was nobody nearby who could sense him? While he still seemed human in scale, that evilness that surround him made him feel distinctly non-human in all the worst ways.

But there was something else, too. A second part to his energy she couldn’t quite put her finger on. But if she was being honest, it reminded her of Korra anytime she went into the Avatar state. Except, while Korra’s energy was comforting and calm because of Raava, his was cold and oppressive, and altogether unpleasant. She had to wonder. Knowing what she did about Korra now, that she – the Avatar – was part-spirit... given how the Chi Eater felt... well, was he even really _human_ anymore?

“Y..h......v.nt.....g.tten.”

She could hear a voice. It was muffled, but it sounded like somebody was talking on the phone in another room. Looking around, Jinora saw a shadow move across the doorway in the bedroom. Somebody was pacing around inside, talking. It must’ve been him. Gulping, she silently floated across the room, trying not to get too close, but also trying to get a better vantage point so she could listen in on what he was saying. It was hard to make out, but he sounded vaguely familiar...

“.....s … too. .t ….. b. ..ng n.w.”

Her headache got more intense, and her vision began to blur as his energy suddenly spiked. Even as a spirit, she could feel the air around her grow cold. Shit, had he noticed her...?

“H.ng on, I ...nk s...b.d..s l.s..n.ng,”

Suddenly, everything went quiet.

Just like that, her vision returned to normal, the pain in her head had disappeared, the air had gone back to room temperature, and the overall spiritual pressure that the Chi Eater had been giving off had completely disappeared. It was almost as if he’d just ceased to exist.

“What...?” Jinora whispered, more confused than ever. Where did he go? She couldn’t feel him _anywhere_ now.

Inching closer to the doorway, as she slowly peeked her head around the frame to look inside, she found the room the voice had been coming from to be left completely empty. The light was on inside, but the bed was still made and the dresser against the wall was still clean. This room didn’t even look as though it were lived in. Even more curiously though, she didn’t see a phone anywhere inside.

But she’d just seen somebody’s shadow walk around in here... she’d _heard_ somebody talking. This didn’t make any sense.

“Didn’t anybody ever tell you that it’s rude to eavesdrop?”

A chill ran up her spine and Jinora froze in place, her eyes going wide and slowly looking down at her shoulder as she felt somebody physically grab hold of her astral projection, a solitary hand her only greeting. That... shouldn’t have been possible.

“You seem surprised. You didn’t actually think I wouldn’t be able to hurt you like this, did you?”

Turning her head to look up the arm to which the hand was attached and up at the face of the Chi Eater, a toothy grin was the last thing Jinora saw before her world went completely black, his voice overpowering her consciousness as she felt herself go numb.

“After all, they _do_ call me the Chi Eater for a reason.”

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

Arriving back at the Republic City port, the last thing Korra expected to see was Mako and Bolin standing there waiting for her in full police uniform, but she couldn’t say that she wasn’t still happy for it – there was nothing like confronting a primordial face-stealing spirit and the revelation of the Chi Eater’s continued existence to make a girl happy to see her best friends again.

The instant the prison transport boat was close enough, she had Airbent herself up and over its railing and back onto the docks, running up to pull the two of them into a big hug.

“WOAH THERE, I missed you too, Korra,” Bolin said as he was lifted into the air by the Avatar’s bear hug, Mako seeming a little confused.

“Geez, you’ve only been gone a few hours, is everything alright?” The Firebender asked. Korra laughed.

“Sorry, it’s just... it’s been a long day. I almost lost my face earlier and I’ve been so busy I haven’t been able to catch up with you guys and tell you what I’ve found out yet,” She apologized, explaining the situation as briefly as possible.

Leave it to Korra to get into an altercation with Koh the Face Stealer and live to tell about it with her face still intact – they wouldn’t have expected anything less from her. Less impressive were the revelations imparted to her by the spirit, however, the story of Avatar Yang and the Chi Eater and how he’d taken the lives of Avatars before... and more than that, how he was still alive today, after all.

“So... he really IS immortal?” Mako asked.

“That’s what Koh seemed to think, yeah. He said he isn’t really human anymore, but that he wears it like a suit, whatever that’s supposed to mean.” She relayed. Bolin shuddered.

“Ooh, that’s creepy,” He grimaced. “So I could’ve been right about him being like an energy eating vampire, then?” Korra shook her head.

“I don’t know, he wouldn’t tell me any specifics. I don’t know if he knew any for sure, himself, but he seemed to think he’s the closest other thing in the world to the Avatar.” The brothers exchanged a look. That certainly wasn’t good. The last time they were up against something like that, Korra lost access to all her past lives and the world nearly ended. Hopefully this wouldn’t be nearly so extreme.

“What does he even want, anyway?” Mako asked. Korra frowned.

“According to Koh, he just wants to live forever. That’s basically it. But he’s willing to sacrifice others to do it.”

“That’s... refreshingly small-scale, actually. Huh.” Bolin thought aloud.

“I mean... I guess? But it’s still a problem we need to go deal with.” Mako replied. Korra nodded.

“I agree. It turns out I’m not the only one who met the Chi Eater, though – the _real_ Chi Eater,” She began. “Apparently, Jinora also ran into him at some point. I asked her to see if maybe she couldn’t track him down since he’s too aware of me and somehow managing to avoid me loacting him.”

“So that’s what Tenzin was talking about...” Mako thought aloud. Korra raised an eyebrow. “He gave us a call maybe 30 minutes ago, he’s the one who told us you went out to see Kuvira while Jinora took care of something related to the Chi Eater. I was wondering how he found out about the meeting and everything earlier on.” He explained.

“Right, I figured it was only right I told him after his daughter got involved, intentionally or not.” She frowned. It made sense, they supposed. “Oh, right! I told you I’d take a look at your arm again later, didn’t I? Since we’re both here, I think I can do that right now before I go see if Jinora’s found anything yet.” The Avatar offered.

Bolin seemed a little out of the loop, but Mako remembered and nodded along immediately, rolling up his sleeve and removing his gloves so that Korra could get better access to his arm. It looked as though even if some internal damage had been undone, he was still going to be left with a scar. Well, presuming Ryuuki had actually managed to do anything, anyway.

Drawing some water up from the bay, Korra began to work her magic, bending the liquid up and down his arm to get a read of his chi and all of its pathways. From the looks of things, it was exactly as Mako had described before – somehow, Ryuuki had managed to seal up all of the internal damage with his Firebending alone. Even she couldn’t figure out how he did that. But from inside of him here, it almost felt as though nothing had happened... like his scar was all that was left from his Lightningbending backfire.

“Wow... how did he...?” She wondered aloud, trying to see if she could figure out his technique by further examining Mako’s energy paths. Maybe if she got a closer look at one of the areas she knew was most badly damaged, she could see what he’d done to close everything up and...

Korra’s face immediately went pale, the water she had been bending around his arm falling to the ground with a splash. No. No, that couldn’t be it, could it? That wasn’t possible. Using your own chi to repair somebody’s own...? But... that feeling... she KNEW that feeling. Could he have been...?

“Korra?” Mako asked, the Avatar slowly looking back up in his direction, a terrified look on her face. “Is something wrong? Was he not able to heal me after all?” Korra gulped, trying to process everything. If this was what she thought it was, then...

“ _Korra, help!”_

Suddenly the three’s attention was taken by a scream from behind, the ghostly image of Jinora briefly flickering into view as she called out to them for help before disappearing just as suddenly as it’d appeared, almost as if she had been forcibly pulled back to wherever she was previously.

“Jinora!?” Mako yelped. Korra grit her teeth.

“We have to get back to Air Temple Island, now!” She declared.

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

“NO!” Jinora screamed, her eyes snapping back open on Air Temple island as a cold sweat dripped from her body. She clutched her chest reflexively, feeling as though her heart was going to leap from her body if she didn’t hold it in place as Tenzin came running toward her from across the overlook, terror in his eyes.

The teenager winced in pain, feeling as though she had been stabbed, but as she searched her body for wounds, she found nothing she could see, no hole her hands could feel. But the pain that she felt was deep. Her vision once again began to blur, her father cradling her as she struggled to stand and then stumbled to the ground, caught by his arms.

She felt weak.

She felt _wrong_.

“Tenzin, Jinora!” Korra cried, the Avatar’s voice whipping the older Airbender’s head up and over to the group of three running up the hill to greet them at the overlook, an equal amount of terror and concern in Korra’s eyes as there also was in Tenzin’s.

And then she saw her lying there, convulsing in her father’s arms.

No. Nonononono... this wasn’t supposed to happen. He wasn’t supposed to have been able to...!

“Korra...” Tenzin trailed as the Avatar and her friends finally made it up. While Mako and Bolin struggled to catch their breath at the end of the hill, Korra continued to rush toward him and Jinora, sliding onto her knees and running a hand over the teenager’s forehead. Wasn’t she with Kuvira? Had she just bent them all across the bay? She seemed completely exhausted.

“Tenzin, what’s wrong with her!?” Korra asked, pulling some water from a nearby fountain to try her hand at treating her. She couldn’t find any wounds but she could feel that her energy was fluctuating, weak. She couldn’t see any physical cause for it, but it was clear from her expressions that she was in a great deal of agony regardless. The Avatar cursed herself. She never should’ve...

“I don’t know, she just screamed out and I...”

“He... I saw who... I know who...” Jinora struggled to get out, curling up tighter in pain. Korra immediately shushed her. They could talk about it later – this came first.

Discarding the water with a frustrated grunt, the Avatar clenched her fists, gripping her pant legs tight as it hit her. It was the Chi Eater. He could eat other people’s energy. He must’ve noticed her. He must’ve attacked her spirit somehow while she was astral projecting. That son of a bitch... if that was the case, she wasn’t going to get anywhere like this.

“Korra?” Tenzin asked, her visible frustration only scaring him further. “Korra, what’s happening to my little girl!?”

“Damn it!” The Avatar cursed, smashing her fist on the ground. “I shouldn’t have asked her to... I didn’t realize he’d...” She could feel the tears behind her eyes already, but she pushed them all back. She could apologize later – she had to focus now. “Jinora, do you know what’s happening to you?” She asked, hoping she could manage to tell her something about what was going on. She couldn’t afford to take any shots in the dark right now.

“He... attached...” She sputtered out, losing consciousness before she could finish.

But it was all that she needed to hear.

With the clue delivered, Korra returned her hand to Jinora’s forehead, trying now to sense her energy directly.

Right, the whole reason she’d asked her to look for him in the first place was because he’d attached something to her, and Korra had thought he might not be expecting Jinora. Had he somehow managed to weaponize that? Closing her eyes for a moment and calling out to Raava, the next time Korra opened them, they had gone completely white. She was now in the Avatar state.

With one hand on Jinora’s forehead and another placed lightly against her chest, she reached in to the Airbender’s chi, immediately sensing the presence of the foreign energy that was attacking her, literally eating its way through her soul.

It felt like a spirit’s energy more than it did a human’s, and the signature was most definitely the Chi Eater’s – she’d never be able to forget that feeling – so she now had a better idea of what she was up against. This thing was like some sort of leech and it was sucking up her energy into itself. Probably for the Chi Eater to transfer over or collect later, if she had to venture a guess. It was almost as if it was its own separate entity, independent of Jinora and the Chi Eater both, but this worked to the Avatar’s advantage, as now she could attack it directly without fear of harming Jinora further, or at least not to any great extent.

With her Energybending abilities and Raava’s purifying power, the Avatar weaponized her chi, sharpening it like a knife and cutting into the spiritual attachment which convulsed in time with Jinora’s body as if it were silently screaming out in pain. But she didn’t stop.

Tenzin felt like he was about to have a heart attack as Jinora shook and writhed in his arms while Korra used her energy to cut deeper and deeper into the leech, _through_ the leech, finally managing to destroy it after overpowering it with her will, the energy that was left to it by its creator nowhere near enough to fight off the power of Korra and Raava together.

As the entity dissolved away and she felt the Chi Eater’s presence begin to fade from Jinora’s body, the energy that it’d been devouring spilled out in all directions, some of it dispersing into the air in a manner that felt like static electricity, while the rest of it returned to Jinora’s body, and as the energy of Jinora and the leech-like energy creature raised the hairs on her arms, Korra felt an all-too-familiar sensation and her world went completely black. It was just like what happened when the Chi Eater spirit tried to talk to her during the premiere, or in her dream.

The Chi Eater was deigning to make contact with her, then.

“ _It’s been a while, Avatar._ _L_ _et this one_ _serve as_ _a warning._ _Stay out of my way._ _”_ She would hear, though no visible form manifested to greet her along with the voice. Korra grit her teeth, feeling as though she were going to shatter them in her jaw, screaming out into the darkness that surrounded her.

“ _I KNOW WHO YOU ARE!”_ She proclaimed with anger and with pride. _“I’M COMING FOR YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!”_

“ _How unfortunate for you that you were born again into somebody so stubborn. It seems as though I’m going to have to teach you another lesson in humility_ _after all_ _.”_ The Chi Eater responded, terminating the connection before Korra could reply, her Avatar State canceling and her eyes narrowing into a wince as the light of the world exploded back into view around her.

As she reoriented herself to her surroundings, she saw Jinora cough and then groan, curling closer into her father’s arms while Tenzin just cradled her, tears in his eyes. From behind her, Mako and Bolin just looked on with fear and concern, unsure what to do or to say.

“Dad...” Jinora struggled. “I’m okay... now...” Then just like that, she’d fallen unconscious once again, the Avatar falling back in exhaustion as she tried to calm down from everything that’d happened. They almost lost her. She almost got Jinora...

“Korra... thank you.” Tenzin said, looking briefly in her direction before scooping Jinora up in his arms and taking her back inside, leaving Korra, Mako and Bolin alone while the Avatar tried to process.

“Korra...?” Bolin asked.

“She’s going to be okay.” She confirmed, the brothers letting out a sigh of relief.

“What happened?” Mako asked.

“I don’t know. He stuck some sort of spirit onto her, it was eating away at her from her soul. I’ve never seen anything like it.” That is, of course, except for the larger Chi Eater spirit she’d taken out a week and a half prior. Did that mean he could create more of those things at will? She wasn’t sure she could take on another one of them. Before the brothers could say anything else, Korra got back up on her feet.

“We need to go inside and let Tenzin know what we found out.” She declared. “I think it’s time we take this fight to the Chi Eater personally.” The two of them nodded.

“I’ll ask if I can use the phone to get word out to the Chief; get some units ready to back us up.” Mako suggested. Korra agreed, it sounded like a good idea. Now that they knew who he was, they knew _exactly_ where to find him. Everybody in this city did. She just never would’ve imagined that _he_ was the Chi Eater.

“I think we’re going to need a whole lot more than just a couple of units for this one.” Korra said. “Something tells me we’re going to need all the help we can get.”

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

By the time Korra was geared up and mentally and physically ready to go, all of Air Temple Island had sprung to life. It hadn’t even been 15 minutes since the incident with Jinora, and already emergency bulletins and alerts had gone out to any and all nearby Airbenders to reconvene at the temple and prepare to assist the Avatar and the police with the apprehension of the Chi Eater.

Now that it was clear who and what they were up against, _and_ where he was staying, they could feel free to get the word out and gather as much help they could. Like Korra had said, they were going to need it.

Currently assembled in the room with Korra, Bolin, Mako and Tenzin were the core Airbenders of the island – Daw, Ryu, Kai, Bumi and Opal – along with Suyin, who had been eating dinner with her daughter when everything went down.

As Mako hung up the phone, he gave Korra a nod and a thumbs up, confirming that an APB had been put out and a perimeter was being set up right as they spoke, just in case he decided to flee the apartment. But something inside of Korra told her there’d be no need for any of that. She felt like he wanted her to come to him now. He probably thought he could take her, _break_ her. But if he did, he’d vastly underestimated who he was dealing with.

While Mako went over the plan with Suyin and Tenzin, Pema, the acolytes and a few other Airbenders were tending to Jinora, who’d still yet to have regained consciousness after Korra destroyed the leech. She’d had Mako call in the coroner from the precinct he’d mentioned to her before, the one who had first discovered what the Chi Eater did to his victims, but he’d yet to arrive. Still, she had a feeling he may be their best bet in taking care of her in absence of any other healers with any expertise in this sort of thing. Korra had done all she could, but to be honest they really only needed somebody to monitor her and her vitals and help guide her energy around for now, at least until she awoke.

With this much, the brothers seemed confident he’d be able to perform, even if Tenzin was a little unconvinced and understandably concerned at the fact that the two of them had just told him they were calling down a _coroner_ to care for his daughter. After explaining the situation in more detail, however, they’d managed to calm him back down.

It was at this point that Asami had entered the room, running up to Korra and pulling her into a hug that she happily returned, kissing the taller girl’s cheek as she sunk into her embrace. _Spirits_ , she’d missed her today.

“Korra, I’m so glad you’re okay,” Asami said, kissing her fiancee’s head in return.

“I’m glad you came.” Korra smiled, resting her head on her significant other’s chest and shoulder as they stood there. Any time she held her like this, she felt like she could stay in Asami’s arms forever.

“I got here as fast as I could after you called me, Tenzin sent one of the acolytes to come pick me up on a sky bison.” She explained. The Avatar pulled away, nodding, continuing to hold the taller girl’s hands as she continued. “So what you told me is true, then? You know who the Chi Eater is?”

“Yeah, I’m absolutely positive. After I went into the Spirit World and met with Koh, I had Jinora search him out. I... I shouldn’t have... it was reckless... but, I didn’t think we had any other choice at the time. I never would’ve thought that I’d have found him on my own just by checking out Mako’s arm.” She explained.

Asami understood, as did everyone else, she was sure. Given who and what it was they were up against, desperate times sometimes called for desperate measures. Still, Korra couldn’t help but feel some measure of guilt. Asami understood that, and even sort of admired the sentiment. It was just like her fiancee to want to take on the world and all of its blame.

“Are you really sure about that, though? I mean... Ryuuki? He hardly seems the type...”

“I know, apparently he’s a better actor than I gave him credit for. But he’s had over a thousand years to practice.” Asami frowned. She had to admit, she’d really actually enjoyed some of his work. To think that _he_ was the Chi Eater... it was a tough pill to swallow, that was for sure. He certainly didn’t _look_ a thousand years old, after all.

Korra gave Asami another kiss, this one on the lips, the two of them gently resting their heads against each other after she pulled away, just sharing the moment. They were going to have to take these while they could for now, they could feel it.

“I want to go with you.” Asami said. Korra nodded.

“I know. I’m scared, though.” The Avatar admitted. Asami smiled.

“That’s exactly why I want to go. Somebody’s gotta have your back.” Korra gave Asami a bashful smile, blushing.

“I mean, you always beat me when we’re sparring. I figure the two of us with Mako, Bolin, Tenzin and Suyin should be more than enough to take this creep down.” She hoped. “Still, I’m serious. This is –”

“...Hello?” With a knock on the door frame, another guest had arrived, interrupting Korra before she could finish and drawing hers, Tenzin’s and Mako’s attention as the detective greeted the man and motioned for him to come in.

“Dr. Lou, thank you for coming, I wasn’t sure who else to call on such short notice who might be able to deal with something like this,” Mako apologized, leading him over to the couch where Jinora was currently lying down on her mother’s lap, three acolytes surrounding her with concern on their faces.

“I know you aren’t exactly used to working with living patients, but, you were the first one to catch on to what the Chi Eater was doing. If anybody can help her, I think it may be you.” The doctor nodded once, sitting down on the couch beside Pema and Jinora and requesting some water he could work with from the acolytes.

“It’s no trouble at all my dear detective, I was just surprised to hear from you again so soon, and about the Chi Eater no less... here I was thinking we’d taken care of that monster weeks ago.” Dr. Lou began, checking Jinora’s temperature with the back of his hand against her forehead before putting on his stethoscope to check her pulse and breathing. She appeared to be in stable condition, all things considered.

“As it happens, I was medically trained for battlefield conditions during my time in the United Forces with Commander Bumi, so I know a thing or two about tending to the wounded as well.” He explained.

“It’s good to see you again, Lou.” Bumi smiled, walking up to check in on his sister-in-law and niece after noticing who’d just entered the room. The doctor smiled and nodded, bowing out of respect.

“You too, Commander. I’ll be sure to take good care of her while you’re out on that battlefield of yours, I promise. You can count on me.” He saluted, the gesture returned in kind before Bumi assured Tenzin of Lou’s credentials. As the acolytes returned with the requested bucket of water, the doctor got to work, noting the dip in her chi and doing his best to regulate her energy flow while her body recovered from the shock.

Meanwhile, as the doctor took care of Jinora, Korra reconvened the party to the center of the room, going over the plan one more time before the lot of them headed out to take down Ryuuki.

“Okay, so, you guys remember the plan?” She asked, the line of Airbenders assembled in front of her giving her a “Yes ma’am” in confirmation, all but Opal seeming confident and comfortable in being there, even despite who they’d be up against.

“Remember, we don’t know what Ryuuki’s fully capable of, but we know that he’s a talented Firebender and a Lightningbender, never mind an Energybender like myself. Only Tenzin will be joining us inside in apprehending Ryuuki – the rest of you will be circling the building and working with Lin and the RCPD in order to make sure he doesn’t try to escape.”

“Opal,” Korra continued, looking in the young Beifong’s direction.

“Y-yes?” She jumped, tentatively looking up at the Avatar.

“I need you with us, okay? I trust you.” She confirmed. “I trust all of you. You’re the best we have.” Opal looked a little stunned, but nodded nonetheless.

“I understand. I-I’ll do my best.” She promised. Korra smiled. That’s all she needed to hear. Korra looked over at Suyin, now.

“Su, you’ll be joining us inside when we go for Ryuuki. We’re going to need a Metalbender to help restrain him until your sister arrives; she’s currently in a meeting with the President briefing him on the situation before heading out to the complex. Former Chief of Police Saikhan will be heading up the operation until then.”

“With pleasure.” Suyin confirmed. Korra now looked to Asami, Mako, Bolin and Tenzin, the four she trusted most of all, but her gaze couldn’t help but wander in Asami’s direction in particular.

“You guys... be careful, okay? He’s... he’s killed me before, in past lives,” Korra admitted, the looks on their faces immediately growing more grave while Asami covered her mouth. She hadn’t mentioned that over the phone. “I don’t know what he can do because I can’t remember what my past lives have been through in fighting him anymore, but he has to be powerful – _really_ powerful. Please. Don’t let your guards down.” Her eyes now settled entirely on Asami as she continued.

“Asami... are you _sure_ you want to come with us? You can stay here with Dr. Lou and Jinora if you want. I knew when I called you to let you know what was going on that you wouldn’t want to stay behind, but, this is different. I don’t want you to get hurt.” The Avatar admitted. Asami nodded in understanding.

“I’m sure. Where you go, I go, always.”

Korra bit her lip. She wanted to argue, but she knew this was a fight she wouldn’t win. She’d only agreed to ask Tenzin to send over a flying bison because Asami would’ve dropped everything, run through traffic and swam across the bay herself if she didn’t.

If it had been up to her, she would’ve had Asami stay at home or at work, or maybe not even have called her in the first place, but... if she didn’t come back... well, she wanted to make sure Asami knew what was going on, even if that meant, well, _this_. She owed her that much.

“Alright.” Korra confirmed, swallowing the lump in her throat and grounding the butterflies in her stomach, reaching out for her glider staff on the table to her right. “Let’s go take this son of a bitch down.”

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

By the time that Korra and everybody had arrived there on Oogi – the other Airbenders gliding close behind and breaking off before landing to begin encircling the building and preparing for the event of an escape – the entire block had already been barricaded and the apartment complex Ryuuki was staying in had been completely vacated. Well, all except for that top floor penthouse of his, anyway.

No less than three RCPD airships were currently encircling the area, shining their spotlights at the top of the skyscraper while some Metalbender officers were preparing for a full-on assault on the streets outside of the building, directed by Saikhan to wait for the Avatar’s arrival before formally storming the premises.

The streets were all covered with people and some smaller, younger spirits, all of them confused about the commotion and all of them kept firmly behind metal barriers and fences being enforced by uniformed officers.

It looked like more than half of the city’s police force was here, just for this one guy alone... Lin and Raiko clearly weren’t pulling any punches, then. It was probably for the best, all things considered. If Ryuuki was really as strong as she was afraid of, then they might just end up needing this many people to subdue the guy.

While Mako, Bolin, Tenzin and Suyin all hopped off and ran on ahead, Korra lingered for a moment to grab hold of Asami’s waist and Airbend the two of them down together, kissing her cheek and then grabbing her left hand so that she could pull her along with her as she ran to get ahead of the crowd. Meeting up with Saikhan, she gave the old officer a sour look, but bowed her head in respect nonetheless. Past issues aside, his help these last few weeks had been greatly appreciated.

“Saikhan,” She greeted.

“A-Avatar Korra,” He bowed in return. “The Metalbenders are ready to go at you and Ms. Beifong’s command,” He mentioned, motioning over in Su’s direction, who looked over the officers being left in her care. “Chief Beifong says that there’s nobody better to lead them in her stead.” Korra raised an eyebrow.

“Lin still isn’t here yet?” She asked.

“Raiko appears to be keeping her quite busy. She hasn’t filled me in on the details, but she said that you guys will have to do this one without her.” Korra’s expression sank somewhat. Lin was one of the greatest Earth and Metalbenders she knew. She was confident in everyone she had with her, yeah, but, her presence here would’ve swung things that much more in their favor, she thought.

“Figures, Raiko probably wants her nearby in case Ryuuki turns tail and tries to assassinate him or something,” Suyin thought aloud with a shrug. It seemed like something he would do, but Saikhan shook his head. He couldn’t say for sure.

“Well, whatever the case, we’ll take it from here. Make sure you keep everybody back in case things spill onto the street. I have no idea how crazy this is going to get.” Korra warned. Saikhan nodded, giving the Avatar a quick salute and then leaving her and the Metalbending battalion of 7 to their own devices.

Deciding on the most efficient formation, Korra took the lead with Mako and Bolin by her side while Asami, Tenzin and Suyin took up position just behind them, the Metalbenders left in their care forming up around the group of six from behind so that they were all as covered as possible.

Then, at the Avatar’s command, the group of 13 entered the building and began making their way up the stairs to the 42nd floor, where Ryuuki Ayatsurishi had purportedly been staying. While the express elevator to the penthouse suite would’ve undoubtedly been quicker and less strenuous a route, it also would’ve proven more dangerous and left them instantly cornered as soon as they arrived on his floor.

The walk up the stairs was long, but the adrenaline pumping through all of their veins ensured that none of them were tired out by the ascent, and the sweat dripping down their faces and the rapid beating of their hearts preceded their careful entrance into the long, carpeted hall that led to the entrance of the Chi Eater’s domain – a simple apartment door some 100 feet ahead of them.

The hall was well-lit, but completely empty save for two elevators, a utility closet, and some high-end artwork apparently of Ryuuki’s choosing – originals from a Fire Nation painter who was famous during the time of Avatar Roku – the only other door in the hall being the door to Ryuuki’s suite.

It was exactly as lavish and high-end an apartment as one would’ve expected from a millionaire mover star, but knowing what they did about him now, it almost felt out of place to imagine him actually living here, at least in Korra’s mind. She had to wonder, how much of Ryuuki’s personality was actually his personality? How much of what she’d come to see or know was just an act? His true identity certainly explained the power and intensity of his flames from before, but...

Coming up on his door, the group stopped, everyone and everything going deathly silent as they did.

The ticking of a clock echoed from the center of the hall, and Korra silently looked back at her assembled group and confirmed they were good to go. The looks of determination on their faces and the rage behind Tenzin’s brow told her all she needed to know, and pulling back her staff, she Airbent the door right off its hinges with a single mighty swing, the group of 13 storming through the doorway and flooding into the apartment.

Though the lights inside were off, the light of the Spirit Portal and encircling airships outside ensured that the place was well-lit, even as the last of the sun’s rays disappeared over the horizon.

Korra and the rest of the her hand-picked crew (with exception to the 5 Airbenders outside) took up a position in front, swarming around the blue-haired man who was seated patiently in a chair just in front of the balcony, looking out the window over the city below and at the Spirit Portal ahead, his back to the benders who were gathering behind him.

While the main 6 of Korra, Mako, Bolin, Tenzin, Suyin and Asami formed a semi-circle all around him, the 7 Metalbending officers took up position from just behind them, filling in the gaps, all of them with their hands up and ready to bend the _instant_ that Ryuuki moved.

His eyes were closed and a warm smile was on his face. He’d been waiting for them.

“Good evening, officers. Something I can do for you?” Ryuuki asked, the tone of his voice almost mocking. The Avatar was stationed immediately behind him with Mako and Asami forming up to her right and Bolin, Tenzin and Suyin coming in on her left. Before long, there was nowhere left for Ryuuki to go unless he chose to go through the window and leap from the balcony to escape – and there were plenty of Airbenders and airships ready to take him down if he tried for something reckless like that.

“It’s over, Ryuuki. We’ve got you surrounded.” Suyin proclaimed.

“We know who you are.” Korra added on. The actor couldn’t help but laugh.

“Do you now?” He asked, bemusement on his breath. “I wonder about that.” When he finally opened his eyes, all of the benders tensed, while Korra’s look hardened.

Calm... she had to remain calm. She may not have been able to see the look on his face, but she could still feel his presence, and more specifically, she could feel how overwhelming it had just become.

“If you really knew who I was, you’d have brought more people than this. Or better yet, you never would’ve come at all.” He flippantly remarked.

“So you admit it.” Mako surmised. Ryuuki shrugged, and the Metalbenders almost sprung into action. He chuckled low at their eagerness and fear.

“I knew there was always a chance I’d be found out eventually, especially after that ordeal at the premiere, and _especially_ after healing your arm for you.” The Chi Eater remarked. Mako’s gaze lowered. “I tried to put on quite the show for you all, get you to think you’d stopped the big bad Chi Eater, but you were more persistent than I’d hoped. However... I’d made some contingency plans for such a situation, as I’m sure you’re all well aware by now.”

“You almost killed my daughter...” Tenzin replied, an uncharacteristic amount of anger in his voice. Ryuuki’s grin widened at the sound, as if his rage was somehow amusing.

“Really, Tenzin? Do you _really_ think I’m somebody to do anything halfway?”

“What’s that supposed to mean!?” The Airbender demanded.

“It means, if I _really_ wanted to kill Jinora, she would be dead. All I _really_ wanted to do was send a message – ‘This is what will happen if you continue to stick your noses where they don’t belong’. As it happens, a previous Avatar and I had reached an agreement about my particular lifestyle. I believe Korra may have forgotten that after what Vaatu and her uncle did to her.” Korra grit her teeth.

“You may have manipulated one of my past lives, but in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not them anymore. I’m Korra, the _new_ first Avatar. Whatever arrangement you may have had in the past no longer applies to me.” She proclaimed.

“Strong words. But that’s always been what you’ve amounted to in the end, hasn’t it? All bark and no bite.” He taunted. “I’ve been keeping a close eye on you – all of you, in fact. Anybody who happens to enter into the Avatar’s life is as much my business as the Avatar is. Fortune favors the prepared, after all. But the point is, I know what all of you are capable of. I know what all of you have done. Especially you, Korra. You’re powerful, yes, but you’re nowhere near skilled enough to take me on without the Avatar State, and I’m afraid after what your uncle did to you, what you have left with you and Raava just won’t be enough.”

So he knew about Raava, then. It figured as much if he knew about Vaatu, as well.

“Then you clearly haven’t been paying close enough attention.” Asami spat back.

“Oho... if it isn’t the beautiful Ms. Sato. Your fiancee actually let you tag along? Either she’s stupid, confident, or completely forgotten what happened the last time her fiancee and I were in the same room.” Korra’s fists tightened, and Asami glanced over in her direction.

The Avatar didn’t meet her gaze.

“What, did she not tell you about that? It’s part of how I broke Avatar Yang. I set it up so that when he tried to kill me, he ended up killing the love of his life, instead. You should’ve seen the look on his face, it was _priceless_.” He laughed. Asami staggered back at that. She hadn’t been around such evil in quite a long time.

“That’s not going to happen this time.” Korra assured, finally looking over in her fiancee’s direction. This time she met Asami’s gaze, the taller woman’s confidence returning as she steadied her form. Ryuuki made note of this. They emboldened each other.

“If you say so.” He supposed, closing his eyes. “Honestly, I really did do my best to avoid all of this and make you my friends. I thought we were having fun there, for a while. I even elected to fix poor Mako’s arm for him at great risk to myself out of the kindness of my heart, and offered you my pet spirit as compensation for my continued existence. Now he is free to continue along the cycle and no longer bound to my ravenous will. Really, I’ve compromised _so much_ for you all, and _still_ you choose to treat me like this... tsk, tsk, Republic City.”

Mako and Bolin shared a glance.

“Why _did_ you heal my arm? You must’ve known I’d have Korra check it out afterwards. You must’ve known she’d find out who you were.” Mako asked. Ryuuki shook his head.

“To the contrary, I didn’t think Korra was adept enough of an Energybender to recognize my signature sealing the cracks of your energy pathways. I was mighty impressed when I felt her lock onto me like that, but I do have my own reasons for healing you. I have something of a soft spot for other Lightningbenders, you see,” He taunted with a laugh.

“But in all seriousness, I expected her to use Jinora to find me after she found out I was still alive. Which she did. So that much went according to plan. But she inadvertently covered all of her bases, there. Still, I think my my message was relayed.” He remarked, glancing in Tenzin’s direction. The Airbender was shaking.

“That’s enough talk, you’re coming with us.” Suyin announced, growing tired of listening to this guy toy with them all. At this, Ryuuki raised an eyebrow. Was he really now? Such confidence, filling her sister’s shoes like that. “We have you surrounded, it’s over.”

The blue-eyed Firebender laughed.

“Oh, but it’s only just _begun_ , Ms. Beifong. Now that I have you all here, I can teach you all a lesson in-person. In this world, _I_ am the one at the top of the food chain – all of you exist at my leisure and my leisure only. The 18 of you are only still alive out of the kindness and the honor of my heart.” The 18 of them? Did he know about the Airbenders...?

“If you want to ‘take me in’ or ‘take me down’, you’re all welcome to try. But know that as soon as you do, any hope of mercy goes out the window along with about half of the people in this room.” He warned, glancing over at Asami and Mako and then to Tenzin and Suyin, flashing the two of them a warm smile.

“So. Which shall it be?”

It was a Metalbender who acted first.

Maybe he was scared, reacting on impulse before thinking ahead. Maybe he misjudged, taking Suyin’s lowered head as the signal to move. Maybe he saw something, a subtle movement his way meant to prompt him to act. But whatever the case, the singular officer unleashed the first cable, and with the throwing of the first punch, opened the lid on Pandora’s Box.

As the cable pierced the air with speed and with power, Ryuuki reacted faster than any thought possible, lifting himself up with the strength of his arms and then flipping back over his chair while he held onto its arms, picking it up with him as he landed and throwing it with the added momentum of the spinning of his body. The move had been timed so that the cable would dig into soft cushion of the chair as opposed to Ryuuki’s arm, and when he let go of the furniture to throw it at the Avatar directly behind him, the cable had snagged and pulled the officer along for the ride, complicating matters as Korra would counter.

She swung up with her glider staff to bend the air to her will, creating an updraft to send it into the ceiling instead of into her face, but the snagged cable of the Metalbender meant he was pulled along again. While he was there in mid-air then, Ryuuki attacked, swinging his leg high up above his head and then driving it down with blue flames all around it, breaking the man’s back with a sickening crack as he crumpled his armor and drove him into the floor, the blows killing him instantly. Only a second had passed and he’d already taken his first victim.

His physical strength was no joke and his reaction time was impeccable, and while Suyin and the rest only looked on in horror at the unlucky officer, Ryuuki inhaled like a surfacing sea dragon, swallowing air and conjuring fire he spit from his mouth in a long, powerful blue flame.

While Suyin and the Metalbenders bent the metal of their armors to create a buffer to protect them, Korra and the others were forced to dive out of the way, some to the ground like Mako or Tenzin while others behind furniture like Bolin and Asami, with the Sato taking cover in the penthouse’s kitchen, behind the counter that surrounded it and walled it off from the foyer. Korra meanwhile was left to fend somewhat for herself, the most open and vulnerable in the whole of the room with her spot in the center, bending the trajectory of his flames with a swing of her staff as she dove to the ground to hide below their range of effect.

For those who chose to defend, they found the fire hotter than expected, their armor turned red and even semi-molten with the intensity of his blaze, but as the contact was brief, they could cool the metal back down with the use of their bending. So as they returned their armor to normal and prepared to attack, Ryuuki just smiled as they made a rookie mistake, underestimating their enemy. Though they couldn’t have known the full extent of his strength, when the 6 other officers fired their cables to try and restrain Ryuuki’s arms, he made no attempt to avoid their lashing and latching, welcoming them in with sadistic excitement.

When the cables wrapped tight and pulled his arms out to hold him, he pulled them all down with a show of sheer force, the strength of his body far greater than they’d bargained for. Like a one-sided game of tug-of-war, he had caught them off guard, then spinning around, he swung them like wrecking balls, forcing Suyin to duck while the Metalbenders yelled in confusion.

With his eyes on the glass that comprised most of his west wall, their fates were decided as he discharged waves of lightning without any of the normal prerequisite movements, the electrical charge running up the steel cables and shocking the lot of the officers.

Stunned, their grip was loosened, and they were released into – no, _through_ – the glass where they would fall 42 stories and presumably to their deaths, their muscles not responding as Ryuuki’s electric coursed through them, their screams their only resistance as they fell out of view. It hadn’t even been a whole minute, and he’d already kept up his promise – half of them were gone, thrown out window, _just_ like he’d warned them.

The main group could only watch this unfold with horror in their eyes, none of them able to manage any sort of a counter that wouldn’t have threatened the officers as well, but perhaps none were as angry as Suyin seemed to be. The officers Lin trained and left in her care were taken out like they were fodder and there was nothing she could do to stop it, and before she could lash out and try to return the favor to Ryuuki, two strong blasts of air zipped by her right and her left, stopping her in place before she could move in.

In an unusual change of pace, it seemed that Tenzin had taken the initiative, reacting with fury and purpose behind his brow as he silently vowed to avenge his daughter by taking down the man who would harm her.

Ryuuki’s grin only widened as Tenzin air wheeled past the Beifong and kept the pressure on top of him, firing blast after blast as he drew closer and closer, forcing the Chi Eater to stagger and dance with the currents to avoid the bone-breaking pockets. An angry Airbender was as rare as they were dangerous, but in Ryuuki’s opinion that was what made them so fun, so he gladly encouraged the old master to continue, drawing his ire with taunts and with counters that were half-hearted at best.

Of course, before long, he wasn’t the only one attacking, and providing support from afar came Mako and Korra with blasts of fire along Tenzin’s air. They were aiming to the right and to the left of Tenzin respectively so that he wouldn’t be caught, but their flames had no effect on Ryuuki as he seemed to simply wave them away without much more fanfare. Still, they continued, trying to keep up the pressure and overwhelm the Chi Eater, but the flames licked his skin like a polar bear dog pup, tickling and harmless and completely under his control whether they wanted to be or not.

But Tenzin was undeterred, keeping up his assault – if the flames wouldn’t work, then his air surely would, and he would keep Ryuuki dancing backwards until he was backed into a wall. But before he could seal the deal and lock him into the corner he’d been driving him toward, Ryuuki flipped forward and up through the air, boosting his leap with his Bending so that he’d go right over his head and force Tenzin to buffer before he hit the wall full-force.

Bolin and Suyin reacted quickly enough, bending tile from the floor and metal from her armor respectively as they tried to hammer away at him as he landed, but what didn’t miss him completely was countered with blue bursts from his fists that killed _just_ enough momentum that they were rendered ultimately harmless.

So the heat was a problem and the explosive properties were, too – his Firebending then was on a whole other level from what any of those gathered may have been used to, including Mako, who despite his shared Lightningbending, had seen nothing quite like him since the night of the premiere.

But that gave him an idea, so when Ryuuki hit the ground and prepared to sprint to find his first target, Mako channeled his lightning and hoped to put a stop to this quick. But full of surprises, Ryuuki, undeterred, took the bolt’s fury whole and channeled it through his left arm, up through his shoulder, down through his stomach and then out his right arm and right into Suyin, who had been coming at him from the side with metal blades from her wrist guards clearly aimed to cut him down.

Instead of following through with her cut-and-gut approach, she was forced to reshape those blades into a circular buffer that would absorb the electrical blow, but the blind spot it created let Ryuuki fire off a Firebending side-kick right into her abdomen that struck her plated body armor with all of the force of a young saber tooth moose lion, leaving it dented and the woman lying winded on the floor.

Mako was in awe at the fluidity of his motions, and while he struggled to follow-up with something, _anything_ effective, Korra and Bolin and Tenzin prepared to attack him from all sides with their own native elements, Korra drawing water from a pouch on her backside.

This was a situation that could quickly grow ugly, Ryuuki reasoned, so it was time for him to put to use one of the aces up his sleeves, a simple snap of his fingers all it would take to split the combatants in half and turn the tides in his favor.

“Mako!” Bolin cried when his brother first screamed, the group’s attention pulled to Mako as his left arm caught fire, brilliant blue flames engulfing its length. The heat was unbearable as he tried to snuff it with his own Firebending, but it had no effect and Bolin dropped his guard to rush to his older brother’s aide instead.

“What!?” Korra yelped as she whipped her head left, unsure what was happening as Bolin used his jacket to try and smother the flames. That wasn’t working, either. What did he just do? She wanted to go and help, but in the second she looked away out of fear for her friend’s life, Ryuuki was on top of her and she was unable to move.

“Pay attention!” He demanded, just a few feet from her face, coming for an attack she was sure would leave a mark.

But as quick as he was on top of her, he’d been forced to retreat, his grin disappearing as Asami stepped in with the first opportunity she’d been presented.

She saw Ryuuki gunning for her fiancee and wasn’t about to let him get a cheap shot in, so she ran up from behind her to leapfrog over her shoulders to the Waterbender’s and Chi Eater’s surprise, her glove coming to life as she arced through the air poised for Ryuuki’s right shoulder. Though he was able to move away from her falling palm strike, he noted the speed with which she’d entered the battle and drove all her punches, strike after strike succeeding the failed opening blow.

She was good at hand-to-hand, that much was obvious. Even if she couldn’t bend, she could prove an issue later on if he didn’t take care of her quick, especially if she kept him busy while somebody else backed her up. But how would he get rid of her? As he hopped and skipped back to avoid her gloved jabs – now reinforced with Tenzin’s restarted air blasts – when the Airbender paused to gather air for a more powerful corkscrew, Ryuuki found his opening and a blessing in disguise, his grin reappearing as he hatched a new plan.

Ceasing to move back and choosing to stand his ground instead, he engaged the non-bender in a brief exchanging of blows, impressed by her power and the skill of her strikes even as he deflected them all. In fact, if he were being honest, he was almost having _fun_ with her, and might even be challenged if this was their sole means of combat. But as Tenzin finished preparing and he released his air corkscrew, Ryuuki stopped playing games and grabbed hold of the machinist’s arm, pulling her forward in surprise while he took a step backwards, pulling her along with him so that she would be the one in Tenzin’s cross-hairs, not Ryuuki. By the time Tenzin would realize it though, it was already too late.

“Asami!” Korra cried, Tenzin’s eyes going wide as the Sato was sent spiraling when Ryuuki should’ve been, the Chi Eater giggling as she tumbled through the air and hit his fridge with a _thud_ , a grunt indicating pain but nevertheless life as she slid to the ground and clutched her left ribs. Nothing was broken so far as she could feel, but she was definitely bruised... thank the spirits Tenzin only intended that attack to knock Ryuuki off his feet, if it were a more substantial blow she’d likely have been done for.

For a brief moment, Korra was conflicted – did she go to help Mako who was still suffering with blue fire or did she tend to her fiancee to make sure she was okay? But the recently recovered Suyin went to her aide before Korra could decide, clearing her confusion as Bolin confirmed need of her assistance.

“Korra, we need some water over here, quickly!”

Shit, why was there so much going on right now!? Frustrated she couldn’t do more as Ryuuki ran to follow up on her grounded fiancee, she left Asami’s fate in her and Suyin’s hands and ran off to help Mako instead, pulling the water from the pouch on her back to try and tend to the flames engulfing his arm.

“Can you still fight?” Suyin asked as she helped Asami up. Though she winced, she claimed yes, and looked around for a way to turn the situation to her advantage, her eyes briefly settling on the chandelier before Ryuuki appeared and obstructed her view.

He was already on top of them with daggers of fire forged in his hands, and he was going in for the kill while Suyin was rising to the occasion to cut through his neck before he could get any closer, but more air blasts from Tenzin which came from the Chi Eater’s left forced him to retreat at the last possible second, the blue-haired man lurching backwards and then jumping away.

Just like before, Tenzin was directly on top of him, wheeling around again firing blast after blast with the intent of tiring him out with the constant moving around the room, jumping and dodging and weaving away. This was a strategy that could get old pretty quick, but if that’s how Tenzin wanted to play this then Ryuuki was happy to oblige. It was probably for the best that he took him out first, anyway, given he was the one with the most skill and most range of those still alive.

“You sure do seem angry today Tenzin, was there something I did that upset you?” He taunted, drawing the man’s ire as he alluded to the suffering of his daughter, more powerful blasts following suit as the Airbender started losing his composure. By this point however Ryuuki was having fun with him, practically dancing as he twirled around his motions, circling through the attacks like he was an Airbender himself while he circled his own arms to gather power for his next move. When the electricity danced from his fingertips and he shot lightning at the oncoming master, Tenzin deftly broke to his right and out of the way, the far wall being struck with Ryuuki’s arc while his eyes followed the Airbender.

Though he’d managed to dodge, his move was anticipated, as Ryuuki had led Tenzin into something of a trap. When he pressured and pushed the Chi Eater back, forcing him to dance about the room to avoid getting hit, he had led him along so that by the time he attacked, the Metalbender whose back he had broken was sprawled out to his left, and the line of his lightning would prevent any retreat, meaning the Airbender’s only options were to break right or to jump up and try to ride out its duration.

The ceiling would make him think twice about taking the high road, so Ryuuki hedged his bets and chose to focus on intercepting his dodge to the right.

While Tenzin may have thought he’d be safe from another bolt of lightning so soon, another bolt of lightning was nevertheless what he got, another arc from Ryuuki’s fingertips jumping into his chest. Before Tenzin could wonder how he’d managed the feat or squeeze out another dodge, his heart would be stopped by the shock as he dropped to the floor, twitching and unconscious. Though his heart would soon restart, the old master remained grounded, a large burn on his chest and his threat completely neutralized for the remainder of the battle.

“Tenzin!” Korra yelled as she saw what’d happened, hoping against hope that he was okay, but preoccupied by the flames she was treating on Mako’s arm, flames which were refusing to go out even with healing water.

“Damn it!” She cursed. This wasn’t working – Waterbending wasn’t working! She doubted she could just Firebend them out either since Mako had had no such luck, but thinking back to Jinora for a moment, she was struck by an idea and tried _Energybending_ instead. Just as she’d hoped, the flames had responded, and with a brief pulse of her own, she’d forced Ryuuki’s energy out took his flames along with it.

The detective just groaned and gripped his arm out of reflex, fresh burns marking his skin, but he was alive. His arm would heal. Bolin breathed a sigh of relief, but the comfort was short-lived as Ryuuki bent more flames into his penthouse suite, some furniture catching fire as he was now engaged in a close-quarters battle with Asami and Suyin.

While Suyin went at him with blades, Asami tried to get in with her glove, one of them hoping to land _some_ sort of blow as the Firebender danced with them on the other side of the building, weaving out of the way of some attacks while releasing short bursts of fire to counter others, forcing the women to avoid _him_ instead. With Mako taken care of and Asami under attack, Korra sprang back into action, pulling the water from her pouch along with her and sending it Ryuuki’s way with the intent of freezing his arm.

So the Avatar had re-entered the fray again, had she? Very well then, Ryuuki thought.

Tanking the blow, he thawed the ice with his fire, pulling away from Asami and Suyin so he could more properly engage the Avatar in a much more up close and personal manner. He imagined she wasn’t as good in close quarters combat as her fiancee may have been, given that she had all those elements to rely on and everything, but before he could get close enough to test his hypothesis, she had shifted her elements from Water to Air and used her staff to bend the currents, creating a wave of concussive force that would carry him off his feet back into Asami and Suyin instead.

Finally, they’d managed to hit him with something!

Though he wasn’t as winded as they would have liked, he was carried along by Korra’s bent air current, and if all had gone according to plan, he’d have received a blade through one shoulder and an Equalist glove to another, but instead, both women were forced _again_ to dodge as he threw his arms back and expelled two jets of flame, the force of his fire enough to flip him up over Korra’s crescent and back on his feet in a crouch. Then, he sprung into a sprint, intent on going through with his original plan: corner the Avatar in close quarters combat.

This was when Bolin had entered the fray. Turning the floor in front of the man into lava with his Bending, the Firebender was forced to adapt, changing from a sprint into a leap and then propelling himself further with his Bending so he could make it over the pool of molten rock without incident. But, recognizing the trouble that an unoccupied Lavabender could pose for him in the long run, he’d changed targets from Korra and aimed his trajectory at Bolin, releasing a fist of fire from only a few feet in front of him.

The rookie detective only barely managed to side-step it when Ryuuki had landed and placed another hand on his chest, a tingling sensation preceding the pain as Ryuuki’s blue eyes became cold.

“Sleep.” He commanded, a sudden pulse from his hand sending Bolin into a wall and then knocking him unconscious.

“Bolin!” Mako cried. Limited by his burns, the detective bent a fireball with his right arm alone, hoping to do something to put a stop to Ryuuki. But unfortunately for him, though his scale was impressive, his power was lacking, and his element was ineffective.

With just as much ease as he’d dismissed his and Korra’s earlier flames, Ryuuki did away with Mako’s without breaking a sweat, a swat of his arm all that it took to quiet their rage and create a new opening. Mako instinctively went to follow up with his left arm but froze from the pain, substituting a kick in its place, but the gap between movements was enough for Ryuuki to get close.

The Chi Eater deflected his leg downward with one palm and then took him out of commission with the other, another strike to the chest and a pulse of his energy all that it took to knock Mako off his feet and render him unconscious.

As Mako fell backwards, Suyin charged in from the side, a brief close quarters exchange distracting Ryuuki while Korra held her staff indicative of planning an Airbending attack. She had cooled Bolin’s lava with an earlier move so that Suyin could run across, and Asami had disappeared while he took care of the brothers, so Ryuuki knew then she was planning to catch him off guard while Suyin kept him distracted.

She was an admirable fighter in this close quarters setting – her style was raw, but sturdy as iron. He couldn’t find any openings her armor didn’t cover and knew bending this close would be mutually destructive at best, and it was clear from her movements that she knew this too, because she followed him around without taking a pause. Jab after jab paired with stab after stab, the blades from her wrists poised to cut and to pierce while his head bobbed this way and that... even if she was the distraction, she was going in for the kill.

He admired the initiative and was intrigued by her style – Metalbending was still new and he’d yet to watch many masters – but he was as much keeping _her_ busy as she had been he. While keeping her close, he was unable to attack either Korra or Asami, yes, but just as well, Korra wasn’t able to attack him without fear of hitting Suyin too; and since Asami was not a bender, she’d have to get in close to do harm, meaning she’d probably sneak up from behind while Suyin kept him busy up front. So letting her maintain the pressure up front was ultimately better for him than trying to counter her assault, as it limited the Avatar while forcing the Sato’s hand.

But ever the clever one, Asami had guessed that he might see this coming, so rather than go in for a side tackle or a standard rear assault, she took a more unique approach that had actually managed to catch him off-guard, because when her presence was made known to him, it wasn’t just from behind, but also from above! So while he had been intending to use a circular Airbending motion to guide Suyin into Asami when she came in for her blow, he found it harder to pull off when she dropped down from the ceiling instead of simply palm-striking his back with that Equalist glove.

She had taken the cable from the lone Metalbender he hadn’t thrown outside, looping it around the central chandelier so that she could climb up to hide while she waited for Suyin to push him into place.

By the time Suyin had backed off and Asami fell with the chandelier she disconnected, he was forced to jump out of the way at the very last instant, hitting the ground in a far less composed manner than he may have intended. With a flimsy foundation, in the heat of the moment he was completely unprepared when Suyin and Korra attacked, the floor shifting below him and the air coming down on top of him to force him back-first into the ground as Korra leapt at him and swung down with her staff.

He hit the ground hard with a grunt, but rolled out of the way of the staff before it followed her air and smashed into his chest. He kicked up fire with his feet and propped himself up on his hands now, maneuvering his body much like a modern day break-dancer to force some distance as azure flames licked the air and he righted his position so he was back on his feet. He’d only pushed them back long enough to stand up, but it was all that he needed, and when Suyin came back in with Asami beside her in completely plain view this time, the Chi Eater was prepared.

He knew how to handle Suyin well enough, though the added attacks from the Sato complicated matters. He was being fought by two people who clearly excelled in close quarters, and the additional combatant meant he had to watch other angles and react that much faster, but perhaps to his advantage, their styles did not mix. The impression he got was that Suyin held her back – there was no synergy between them like there was when she worked with Korra, so while Suyin went in for the kill with each and every blow, her fierceness and initiative caused the Sato to fumble just often enough and just badly enough that he was still able to hold his own.

But again, she was clever, and at her signal Suyin withdrew. Ryuuki prepared for her to come in with that glove of hers now, but was surprised yet again when she drew back with her, reaching into her pocket for something completely new. Before he could see what it was however, Korra had attacked, capitalizing on their distance to send three jabs of fire barreling his way.

Ryuuki narrowed his eyes. She knew this wasn’t effective, so she must’ve been planning to distract him, but he had no choice but to counter her lest he suffer some burns. So he bent away her flames and Asami released her new toy, a small spherical device igniting with the fire he redirected from Korra, exploding almost instantly.

She’d predicted his counter from what she’d seen him do before and set him up for this the second she pulled back, a maneuver which impressed him but was only partially a success. While he was hit by the shock wave and some shrapnel tore his clothes and cut into his flesh, he bent the flames harmlessly around him and used the danger of the explosion to create some more distance between them.

While Suyin and Asami took cover and Korra arced back her staff, Ryuuki conjured lightning with his signature speed, forcing the Avatar to jump before she could finish her swing lest she be hit with his electric.

He kept her moving throughout the room with bolt after bolt until she dove for cover behind a counter, at which point Suyin was coming in from behind for another attack. But instead of firing at Korra with the last bolt he’d conjured, he turned to meet the Beifong and aimed it square at her chest plate and took her out instead, the near point-blank attack sending her flying as she screamed out in pain. By the time she hit the ground, she’d been rendered unconscious like Mako, Tenzin and Bolin before her, meaning all who remained now were Korra and Asami.

“Suyin!” Asami cried, but there no response. Gritting her teeth, Asami no longer liked their odds as it began to dawn on her that she and her fiancee were the only 2 left out of what once was 13.

“Ah, looks like it’s just you and the Avatar now, little girl.” Ryuuki taunted. Asami furrowed her brow.

“You say that like it’s somehow good for you.” She replied with some confidence, putting all that she had in just psyching herself up. It was just her and Korra now. Her and Korra. They knew each other better than anyone else, including how the other one fought. They could still do this, she thought. They were the only ones who could.

“There were 13 of you when you entered this room. Now, 7 of you are dead and 4 more are unconscious. I don’t think you 2 alone are going to present any more of a challenge.” He reasoned, mockingly dusting some of the debris from his shoulder.

“I don’t get it, _w_ _hy_ are you doing this? _Why_ go through all of this trouble!?” Korra asked, taking up a defensive position next to her fiancee while there was a momentary lull in the action, everybody around her taken out of commission except for the one who mattered the most. She was going to protect that girl if it was the last thing she did, she swore on it.

“To prove a point, Korra. You were being unreasonable, so I had to show you what it was you were up against. I made sure to only kill the fodder, though. We haven’t gotten to the part where I start picking off everyone you love one by one yet.” Ryuuki remarked, shrugging off the lives of the 7 officers as if they weren’t really worth anything. Which, to him, they clearly weren’t.

“Fodder...!?” Korra snarled. But Ryuuki seemed confused by her reaction, as if her anger at the term made no sense to him. Wasn’t it true, though?

“Honestly, I don’t even know why you’re bothering with me, Korra. It’s not like I’m the next Amon, or Unalaq, or anything. I’m not even like Zaheer. I only want what everybody else does – to survive. And I’ll do whatever it takes to do that, just like anyone else.”

“What you’re doing is not even _remotely_ comparable, all _you_ are is a murderer.” Asami declared.

“Really? How is what I’m doing any different from what a tiger shark would do? Or a saber tooth moose lion? Or any _other_ apex predator, for that matter?” He asked. “As I’m sure you’ve figured out by now, I require the energy of others to survive. It is my life force, my _food_ , and unlike most creatures, I only need to feed once every 25 years. So, once every 25 years, I will go on the hunt, devouring the chi of the only creature rich enough in energy to sustain me aside from the spirits: humans. It’s honestly no different from how humans will hunt other animals for food or for sport. It is the role of the predator to devour the prey.”

“And all of mankind is just prey to you?” Korra asked.

“Well, I do prefer Benders, their chi is a bit more potent, but ultimately, yes.” The ease with which he said it... it was like none of this bothered him at all. He really _was_ a monster, Korra thought. “Does that upset you? Don’t worry. I have no interest in driving your kind extinct. Far from it, in fact, I depend on you to exist. I depend on the Avatar, too, actually, just the same as everyone else. Why do you think I always knock you out of the Avatar State before I kill you? I recognize the importance of your role in guiding such a miserable species. So really, you should have no issue with me. I do not threaten the world _or_ its balance. If anything, I play my own special part in preserving it.”

Korra scoffed. _He_ played a part in its balance? That was rich.

“You really think you’re so far above us all, don’t you?” Asami asked. “You don’t even think of yourself as a human anymore, do you?” Ryuuki tilted his head to the right at this.

“Aren’t I, though? Above you? You in particular for sure, yes, but I mean all of humanity, really. Humans live such short, pitiful lives, whereas I can live forever. Benders have an edge over ordinary people like you, but I have an edge even over them. I may still look human, but make no mistake, I stopped being that a long, long time ago.”

“So I’ve heard.” Korra glowered.

“Ah yes, that’s right, you met with Koh, didn’t you? Oh, don’t look so surprised. You didn’t think Jinora was the only one I’ve been keeping an eye on, do you? I’m well aware of how much the Face Stealer detests me. But he’s not wrong in what he considers me to be.”

“And what’s that?”

“Immortal.” He stated simply. “I’m going to cut to the chase, Korra. I don’t want to kill you. I don’t even want to kill your friends. I don’t want to have to take them apart piece by piece in front of you until you break down and beg me to stop, but if that’s what you want me to do, then by all means, I _will_ do it. What happens next is entirely up to you. Either you can let me go and pretend we never met, just like Avatar Yang before you, or you can suffer the consequences that come with threatening my life. The decision is yours.”

Korra looked over at Asami and reflexively pulled her closer. While from Ryuuki’s perspective it looked as though she were keeping her close out of fear and/or comfort, it served a more practical purpose too as she ran her hand over her fiancee’s ribs, assessing the damage from Tenzin’s earlier attack. They’d been bruised, but not broken, and with the way she was throwing her punches with Suyin earlier on, it looked like her wrist had been sprained when Ryuuki pulled her along. No doubt he’d noticed as much, as well, hoping the pain would weaken her resolve or soften her blows if he could keep her attacking, but so far, that hadn’t happened.

Still, as her eyes met Asami’s, it didn’t seem like she wanted to back down, and Korra knew that she didn’t either. She came here to finish this, so that’s exactly what she was going to do, no matter what. No matter how old and skilled he was, he was still just a Firebender. She’d taken down countless other Firebenders before. If she played all her cards right, with Asami by her side, this guy would be no different. Closing her eyes, Korra sighed, steeling herself for what was to come. This was not going to be easy, she could tell.

“No. You may think that you’re no longer human or that the rules no longer apply to you, but you are, and they do, no matter how much you’ve changed yourself in living forever. Your fear and contempt for others is not a part of any world’s balance, it is an _im_ balance. Your life should’ve ended a long time ago, but instead you’ve been stealing the energy of others and turning them into sacrifices for yourself. Not anymore.” The Avatar declared, a sense of weight to her words that caused Ryuuki to frown.

She really was a stubborn one, wasn’t she? She had no clue the sorts of things she was about to make him do. But her choice had been made.

“Well, I tried.” He shrugged, closing his eyes to flash a fake smile before the ground below his feet exploded into blue.

A brilliant jet of fire propelled him into the air where his leg was already poised to smash her face-first into the ground with a falling axe kick, a move that would stun her and maybe break some of her teeth, but much to his surprise, she met him head-on with her staff, a blast of air that struck his leg sending him tumbling backwards until he righted himself in the air with expertly Bent small bursts of fire.

While an ordinary person would’ve felt quite the sting, Ryuuki appeared to be completely unaffected, landing on the ground without slowing down before pressing forward with blast after blast of scorching blue flames.

The heat was unlike anything Asami had felt before, and the power behind them was as though each punch were an explosion, but though he may have been powerful, Firebending was still Firebending. The bursts were still singular and relatively contained, so while she needed to move further to escape minor burns, the process was the same as approaching Mako or Korra or anybody else during such an attack.

When the blasts weren’t enough, Ryuuki clapped his hands together to create a larger wave of fire that left no room for her to dodge, at which point Korra circled around and defended Asami with the spinning of her staff, the air currents bending and swirling in front of her to capture the fire and lead it away.

Meanwhile Asami ducked below where the fire was rallied and dipped forward to meet the Chi Eater at a more comfortable range. He knew roughly what to expect when another explosive was pulled from a pocket, and his Bending had stopped as it was tossed into the air, but Korra picked up the slack Ryuuki left and set off the bomb with a fire blast of her own.

Again Ryuuki braced himself against the explosion, his arms crossed in front of him to weather the blow while the flames followed his will, but the light and the sound created a momentary opening that Asami had capitalized on to get back in close, and when he lowered his arms it was just to swipe away hers. But she expected his counter and met his arms with her strikes, successive attacks aimed at all the key pressure points to disable his left arm and render bending impossible.

Chi Blocking then, was it? Ryuuki was as impressed as he was being annoyed, his left arm going limp as he withdrew his right. So blocking was out for the rest of their fight.

While he prepared to counter with another breath of fire, his focus on Asami left his foundation unguarded, and when Korra created a small patch of ice just behind him, he hadn’t noticed the fact until he’d slipped and fell back. Asami then capitalized on his mistake almost instantly, coming in with her glove trying to grab at his face.

Ryuuki’s smile just widened while his eyes had gone mad, and he rolled out of the way before the Sato could reach him, her hand striking floor while Korra picked up the slack. She bent the tile beneath him to try and throw him up in the air, but he used the momentum to help stand back up instead, any damage she’d done mere bruises instead.

He was strong and he was quick and he was hardy at that – whatever he’d done with that energy he ate, it’d rendered him difficult to fight. He threw six men with little difficulty, reacted to attacks with skill and precision, and anytime they hit him, he almost seemed to shrug it all off. The stone she’d just risen should’ve fractured a rib or his arm with the force that she’d Bent it, but he was standing and laughing like it just barely tickled. If they were going to take care of him they’d have to hit harder than this. If they were going to stop him, they’d have to fight with intent to kill. Even if they didn’t want to, it may be the only way they could hope to overpower him.

Still, Korra had isolated a weakness: his foundation was unguarded.

This wasn’t the first time they’d knocked the man down, and with a low sweep from her staff bending air low to push him, it wasn’t the last, either. He was sent forward but caught himself with his right hand and then pushed himself back up, just barely missing an axe kick from Asami that would’ve hit the back of his head had he been grounded as intended. The viciousness of the attack was something he admired – a blow like that would crack an ordinary man’s skull – and that was when he knew that they were finally taking him seriously, so he thought it was best that he treat them in kind.

As he jumped back and away from Asami’s followup strike, he grabbed his left forearm with his hand and gave a self-assured smirk, a visible pulse of energy shooting out of his palm and then cascading down his arm. In less than a second the limb she’d disabled was put back into play, and it was up to Korra to catch her when a sudden blast of blue fire caught the Sato unaware.

Another low Airbending strike knocked Asami off her feet, but she would fall backwards, cushioned below by a pocket bent by her fiancee, and while this was a position that could work to Ryuuki’s favor, she followed that up with a higher attack meant to keep him at bay.

So he backed off instead, giving Asami the time to get back on her feet, thanking the Avatar for the sudden assist.

“That was a close one,” She noted, feeling as though her face had just been sunburned. There was no visible harm, but it stung like a bitch – that heat was intense. “I guess Chi Blocking won’t work on the Chi Eater at all, huh?” She frowned. Korra’s expression just hardened. So it would seem.

“I’m an Energybender like no other, you didn’t _honestly_ believe that you could block off my chi, did you? I know my body better than any doctor knows yours.” Ryuuki taunted, capitalizing on the moment to get in more words and further undermine their confidence.

“That’s not all I know how to do, either. I’m telling you now, there’s no way you can stop me.” He warned. But the girls weren’t buying it. Regrouped at each other’s side, their next move became clear as Korra readied her staff, but Ryuuki had had quite enough of that glider. With a sudden burst of lightning whose speed still caught her off guard, the top of her staff had been blasted away, rendering her attack completely pointless.

“Being an Energybender means that lightning is easy,” He commented, preparing some more. “I’m surprised you haven’t tried it since learning from Aang. It’s just controlling an imbalance you personally create, directing that power with the movements of your body.” He taught, forcing the two apart with a bolt aimed between them. Asami broke right and Korra went left – they were going to circle around for a pincer attack as the Avatar left her broken glider behind her. “It’s difficult for Firebenders, but that detective figured it out. For an Energybender like you, such a thing should be second nature. I don’t think you’re as strong as you think you are.”

Korra ignored him as she and Asami attacked. They’d dodged fires and bolts to strike from both sides, Asami going low while Korra aimed high, but Ryuuki just jumped over the Sato’s low sweep and then knocked back Korra’s arm when she came in for a point-blank air blast.

Asami’s dip down meant it soared over her head even if it had gone true, but Ryuuki had reacted faster than expected yet again. When Asami followed up her sweep with her right hand though, her glove grazed his jacket before he rocketed off with more Firebending. She’d almost succeeded to shock him that time. Emboldened, she pursued him with Korra beside her, the two fully intending to get him next time.

“I’m surprised you haven’t tried to finish this yet. No Avatar State or simultaneous bending today, Korra?” Ryuuki taunted as he deflected their next blows, ducking between them and then kicking Korra away. Asami grit her teeth and attempted a counter, but a palm from Ryuuki to her abdomen quickly stopped her.

Winded and in pain the Sato bent over, trying to catch her breath while the Avatar righted herself, the next thing Korra saw being Ryuuki’s knee thrusting into Asami’s face. Blood hit the ground as her nose was broken, the Firebender making flames around his right hand he was intending to burn her alive with.

Korra moved quick – even quicker than she thought possible – an instinctive blob of water snuffing the flame and rendering it a punch that nevertheless collided with Asami’s face, and by now she was running in to stop the Chi Eater’s assault on her fiancee from continuing.

“I guess you were listening when I told you it wouldn’t work, huh? I’m surprised you haven’t tried though, if only to spite me!” He continued to taunt, changing targets to Korra as she finally drew closer.

Asami was left reeling while the Avatar engaged, a brief bout of hand-to-hand ensuing like Ryuuki had been hoping for earlier. He was blocking her blows with the ease he’d expected, but she was holding her own against his counters better than he’d have imagined. She was training with Asami was the best he could figure, as her close quarters skills were more up to snuff than he’d given her credit for.

But more of a surprise was that Asami was persistent – ignoring the pain and an eye that wouldn’t open, she was back at Korra’s side and reinforcing her attacks.

Suddenly Ryuuki was a lot less amused.

This wasn’t the same as when it was Asami and Suyin – the synergy with Korra was as natural as he’d feared, and they played off each other with unparalleled ease. It was almost as if they were extensions of each other, Asami making up for whatever openings or weaknesses Korra may have had. He was actually being pressured into staggering backwards, put on the defensive as they tried for blow after blow, leaving him no room to counter.

By the time that he realized where it was they were leading him, he was out of ‘back’ to move and was poised to be pushed out the window he’d broken at the start of the fight, an amused grin on his face as it hit him what they were planning.

But once again, it was Asami who surprised him with the penultimate move, lowering her arms so that she struck Ryuuki’s thigh with her Equalist glove, a sudden shock causing pain and locking his muscles just long enough that Korra followed through with an Airbending punch aimed square at his chest. Before he could react he was sent flying out the window, and if it wasn’t for what happened next he may have fallen to his doom.

Korra and Asami knew that he might just Firebend back up here, flying around in the air like Iroh II or Jeong-Jeong before him, but what neither expected was what actually happened, as – purely on reflex – he _Airbent_ himself away from the window, catching himself before he fell and then knocking down the two women with a blast from each arm.

“What!?” Asami yelped.

“He can Airbend too!?” Korra asked, her and her fiancee thrown backwards by the wind he’d created. Though the advantage was his, the Chi Eater was unamused, as though he hadn’t intended to show them this secret and it was done completely on instinct.

“Tch, well it looks like the cat’s out of the bag now, huh?” He remarked, the two girls struggling up while he let out a sigh.

“How...?” Korra pressed, a hundred thoughts charging her head. Was this how he did it, how he overwhelmed her past lives? Just who the hell was this guy? Where did he get this power? “How is that possible!?”

“I could ask you the same question.” Ryuuki shot back, pointing directly at Korra. “You know of Wan’s story, so I’ll let _you_ figure it out. But I can tell you right now that I can do far more than just this.” He warned. Did that mean he could Earthbend and Waterbend, too? That shouldn’t have been possible... only the Avatar was supposed to be able to bend all the elements, and she could only do that because of the Raava connection. How in the hell had he managed to _Airbend_?

“Korra...” Asami trailed, unsure what to do next. A Firebender was one thing, but if he could do more, then...

“Asami, stay back, I’m going to finish this,” She warned, her eyes going white as she finally entered the state that gave her the best shot at winning. If he was like her, she’d need all the help she could get, and she no longer thought hand-to-hand was going to cut it. Asami agreed, staying back as she acted, gathering elements around her with one hell of a show of force.

But Ryuuki was fearless and charged in irregardless, reaching through her elemental defenses with his right arm alone, a hand on her chest and a sudden pulse of energy all that it took to send Korra flying backwards and Raava back to the depths of her soul.

She caught herself with her Airbending, but only just barely, looking up in confusion while Ryuuki stood undeterred, his arm still extended from the blow he’d delivered. It looked like it did when he took out Bolin, and if what she felt was right, then he’d somehow Bent his chi through her body as a concussive attack. It would’ve knocked her unconscious if she hadn’t been in the Avatar State, but it was then that she noticed that she no longer was, and the look on her face went from confusion to terror.

“Didn’t Koh warn you that I could disable the Avatar State, too?” Ryuuki asked, lowering his arm. His sleeve had been torn up by the wind and the fire she’d been gathering around her, but though his flesh was slightly charred, there were no bruises or blood.

In fact, now that she thought about it, the cuts that’d been inflicted by Asami’s explosives were completely gone too – there were holes in his clothing where shrapnel had hit him, but the only signs of blood were the stains on his jacket. He was kidding her... he could _heal_ , too? How was she supposed to stop this guy...? As he calmly approached her, the Avatar stumbled back, Asami looking on in horror as the situation was flipped.

“You... how did... what...?” Korra wondered. She couldn’t reach Raava. What had he done to Raava!?

“You don’t understand the power I possess, the power _you_ possess, and now I guess you never will. I tried to be reasonable Korra, but you just wouldn’t listen. Now I’m just going to have to break you until you’re willing to try.” Opening his right hand, electricity arced along his fingertips while he came in for a blow, pulling his arm back so he could drive it into her chest and put a stop to her movements while he fulfilled his earlier threat.

He had no intention of killing her just yet – she’d be reborn and chase after him again unless he proved he was dangerous. So instead he would stun her and force her to watch as he took the woman she loved and killed her in front of her.

Korra’s eyes had shut tight before his hand had come in, but when she didn’t feel any pain she slowly opened them again just to see Asami fall in front of her. She had run in and taken the blow before he could follow it through. Her body convulsed as the lightning locked her muscles, and Ryuuki just smirked at the sight of her agony. Between her nose and the lightning the pain she was feeling must’ve been quite intense, he surmised.

“No...” Korra whispered, gritting teeth and moving to attack, but she was deflected with a touch. As soon as he grazed her, she felt a pulse and went flying, his chi once again turned into a weapon to repel her as she slammed against the wall with a very loud _thwack_. She was too far to do anything aside bend more air and fire he deflected just as casually, dismissing with one arm while he lifted Asami with another.

“I was going to stun you and make you watch while I killed her, but I guess this can work too. In fact maybe it’ll teach you more clearly the gulf in our power if you can still move while you watch me devour her.” The fear in their eyes – Asami’s and Korra’s – empowered the Chi Eater as he licked his lips in anticipation. He preferred to eat Benders, but there were lessons to teach.

“Just so you know, it’s quite a painful way to go, your chi being eaten... the heat that it generates boils away all the water and the blood in your body, and your organs turn to dust as I extract it all in seconds. It’s quick, but it’s agonizing. I want you to remember this the next time you think you have it in you to stop me.”

Asami closed her eyes as she prepared for what was coming, and tears streamed out of Korra’s as she felt powerless to stop him, his hand glowing bright with an unnatural white-blue... but before he could finish what he’d set out to do, an explosion of energy caught the Chi Eater by surprise, and Ryuuki was forced to let go of Asami so he could redirect the lightning that’d been fired his way.

He shot it out the window that’d been broken before and snarled as he looked for its source, finding Mako awake – just barely standing up – with his right arm extended and smoke rising from his fingers.

“Stay away from her.” Mako seethed, falling down to one knee as he panted, exhausted.

Ryuuki was surprised to see him awake while the others were still down – either he hadn’t hit him hard enough or he’d underestimated his tenacity. The man grit his teeth, his blue eyes filled with fire as he prepared for a counter when the floor that was below him sprung to life at Korra’s command. Ryuuki was forced to jump out of the way as she turned tiles to spikes, forcing him away from Asami whose side she immediately ran to. She was unconscious, but breathing – he’d taken some chi but not much – and she was not going to let him get near her again.

Ryuuki’s look soured.

“Well aren’t we the persistent bunch...” He growled, preparing for the next round of the fight against Korra and Mako when more fighters arrived – more Metalbenders storming the penthouse from the entrance led up front by the Chief of Police.

Lin was here now, and the relief on Korra’s face was immediate. She wasted no time with words, commanding her officers to attack as they bent the stone floor below and the pipes in the walls, all poised to crush and to pierce the immortal. He danced around each attack, avoiding the damage barely, but completely, and was beginning to grow annoyed with the new influx of fighters.

As more came up on cables through the window he’d shattered, it became clear now the airships were fairly close to his penthouse – dozens of officers were now swarming the building, reinforcing the others after the battle had dragged on.

The Airbenders had rescued the 6 he tossed out the window, who stood giving orders from the airships to their companions charging in, and the lightning from a moment ago combined with Lin’s formal arrival were the last things they needed to launch an assault of their own. The Chief had decided enough was enough then, taking charge of the situation as soon as she’d returned.

Ryuuki was upset. Just when things were getting fun, they had to come in and ruin it.

While he could stand here and fight, it would be a waste of his energy. His power was not infinite and with this many officers and the Avatar to boot, he might not be able to make it out of this without sustaining some harm. He was not looking forward to gambling today. If he was going to fight this many Metalbenders at once, he’d rather it be after he learned how to Metalbend, himself.

With a stomp of his foot he created a wave from the floor with the marble and concrete he was bending, the top of the building cracking and shaking and everybody’s footing destabilizing.

As officers fell or steadied themselves, Ryuuki deflected what attacks they attempted with small blasts of air, running for the window he’d blown out at the start. It was time to cut and run.

Mako fired another bolt of lightning to try and stop his escape, but Ryuuki just captured it like he had all the others, redirecting it into one of the airships nearby and damaging an engine that sent it off balance in seconds. Then he conjured more lightning of his own to strike at the other, propelling himself through the air with Firebending as he tried to escape from the complex.

The Airbenders pursued him as soon as he came out, following the plan to the best of their ability, but they weren’t prepared for his multiple Bending arts, and as they dodged bolts of lightning, they were caught off guard with blasts of air, the 5 of them scattering while Ryuuki made a break for it.

“No you don’t!” Kai called, boosting his speed and coming in with a rather devastating looking spinning attack, but Ryuuki flew away with another burst of fire, the intensity of his flames increasing his speed. But Opal followed up from another angle when Kai’s attack missed, followed by Bumi and Daw and finally Ryu, the overwhelming amount of air forcing him to bend it too so he could counter it all properly. The barrier he’d created was then quickly pushed out, knocking them all away and destabilizing their gliding.

By the time they had righted themselves, they tried to pursue him, but they couldn’t get close, and before long they had lost sight of him completely, his speed with his Firebending – as explosive as it was – too great for their gliding to ever keep up with. Ryuuki would live to fight another day, then.

Opal cursed herself at not being able to stop him, but quickly let go of her anger as she remembered her moth, flying back to the apartment to check on her instead. Kai meanwhile lingered for just a moment longer, wishing he could follow and maybe avenge Jinora, but he knew he was outclassed and that the others may need help, so he soon followed suit and headed back to the apartment.

When the Airbenders returned, what they found was a mess. The penthouse was ruined and structurally unsound, some parts being reinforced by the officers who were present while Lin and the others tried to tend to the wounded.

Mako’s left arm was burned and he looked in bad shape, while Korra carried Asami, who was passed out in her arms. The look on her face was something Opal would never forget as she looked down at her fiancee, silently praying to the spirits that Mako had intervened in time. Tenzin was woken by Bumi and Kai, but he was understandably dazed, the burns on his chest still fresh and still painful, while Opal saw her mother helped up by her aunt.

“Mom!” She cried out, running to help Lin support her, the groaning Suyin hugging her daughter to the best of her ability. She was still reeling from the lightning that took her out in the first place.

“I’ll be okay, don’t worry,” She assured, wincing. It felt like she fractured a rib.

“We couldn’t stop him...” Daw shamefully admitted. Lin shook her head.

“None of us could. Don’t blame yourself too much.” She said.

“Asami...” Korra whispered, hoping she’d wake up. But she didn’t. The Avatar closed her eyes, focusing on her fiancee’s chi. She was there. She was alive. She was intact, for the most part. But she was in the same place as Jinora, right now. She’d need time to rest and recover and she wasn’t going to leave her side until she did.

Opal placed a hand on her shoulder, grabbing her attention. The look of concern on her face was genuine, as was the hug that soon followed it. At least she was going to be okay. They all were.

“Lin, your officers...” Tenzin began, but Kai cut him off.

“We caught them before they hit the ground, don’t worry.” He assured, putting the master’s mind at ease.

“He just picked them all up and tossed them away... I’ve never seen anything like it...”

“None of us have. He can Airbend, too.” Mako revealed, helping Bolin to his feet with some assistance from Ryu. Tenzin’s look immediately grew more grave.

“That’s... unexpected.” He thought aloud. That was putting it mildly.

“He seemed to be hinting he could bend all of the elements...” Korra tacked on, grabbing the whole room’s attention. She was still cradling Asami in her arms, who was clutched tight to her chest. The officers who’d just arrived could only imagine what sort of battle they’d fought.

“He knocked me out of the Avatar State with a touch and took us out like we were nothing. If he can bend all the elements like me, I... I don’t know if I could’ve stopped him.” She admitted with some reluctance. Nobody really knew what to say to that, so nobody chose to say anything.

If one thing was clear, it was that they’d underestimated their opponent. But there was no way they could’ve prepared for everything he was capable of.

“For now let’s just tend to the wounded and get back to the island. We can figure out what to do next after we make sure everyone’s alright.” Suyin suggested. Those gathered could agree on that much, at least, particularly the young Avatar with her fiancee in her arms.

Korra looked down at Asami with growing concern. She was going to be okay – of that much she was certain, or at least reasonably so. But for the first time in a long time, she felt completely powerless again, as if she’d just been poisoned by Zaheer.

With Raava still completely inaccessible and Asami unconscious, she felt more lost right now than she had in three months.

As she kept her gaze  affixed  on her fiancee, she couldn’t help but wonder... given all that she’d just learned, what the hell was she going to do?


End file.
